Narrowleaf yucca, Kanab yucca, Toft's yucca, Yucca
Yucca angustissima
Family: Agavaceae
What it is like
Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early summer, Early spring, Late summer, Late spring, Mid summer, Mid spring. Form: Upright or erect.
Yucca angustissima is an evergreen Shrub growing to 0.4 m (1ft 4in) at a slow rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 8. It is in leaf all year, in flower from June to July. The species is hermaphrodite (has both male and female organs) and is pollinated by Hand. Suitable for: light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, prefers well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. Suitable pH: mildly acid, neutral and basic (mildly alkaline) soils. It can grow in semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It prefers dry or moist soil and can tolerate drought. The plant can tolerates strong winds but not maritime exposure.
Height (m): 0.4
Where it is found
Sandy places, sandstone outcrops, rocky hillsides of deserts at elevations of 900 - 2200 metres in Arizona, New Mexico and Utah.
South-western N. America.
Conservation Status:
Countries/locations it is found in
Australia, North America, USA,
How it is used
Food
Rating: 3
Fruit - the immature fruit is cooked. Baked in an oven. A bitter taste, the bitterness is in the skin. The fruit is about 6cm long and 2.5cm wide. Flowers - raw or cooked. They are delicious raw, or can be dried, crushed and used as a flavouring. Flowering stem - peeled, cooked and used like asparagus. The whitish inner portion is used.
Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.
Medicine
Rating: 0
Other
Rating: 4
A fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making ropes, baskets and mats. The leaves are very fibrous and can be used as paint brushes or as a broom or woven to make mats etc. They are also used in basketry. The roots are rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute.
Basketry: Plant used in making baskets and other items such as chairs. Includes plants that are only used as an ornamental addition.
Broom: Used for sweeping the floor etc.
Brush: Used for cleaning clothes, as a paintbrush etc.
Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.
Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.
How it is grown
Landscape Uses:Border, Massing, Specimen. Thrives in any soil but prefers a sandy loam and full exposure to the south. Plants can succeed in light shade. They are hardier when grown on poor sandy soils. Established plants are very drought resistant, this species is also tolerant of damp weather. Plants are not hardy in the colder areas of the country, they tolerate temperatures down to about -10° if in a suitable location. Closely allied to Y. glauca. The plant has a thick prostrate rootstock. In the plants native environment, its flowers can only be pollinated by a certain species of moth. This moth cannot live in Britain and, if fruit and seed is required, hand pollination is necessary. This can be quite easily and successfully done using something like a small paint brush. Individual crowns are monocarpic, dying after flowering. However, the crown will usually produce a number of sideshoots before it dies and these will grow on to flower in later years. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits. Special Features:North American native, Fragrant flowers, Attractive flowers or blooms.
Propagating it: Seed - sow spring in a greenhouse. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water may reduce the germination time. It usually germinates within 1 - 12 months if kept at a temperature of 20°c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer and consider giving them some winter protection for at least their first winter outdoors - a simple pane of glass is usually sufficient. Seed is not produced in Britain unless the flowers are hand pollinated. Root cuttings in late winter or early spring. Lift in April/May and remove small buds from base of stem and rhizomes. Dip in dry wood ashes to stop any bleeding and plant in a sandy soil in pots in a greenhouse until established.
Best place to grow: Woodland Garden Sunny Edge; Cultivated Beds;
Habit: Shrub
Hardiness: 4-9
Growth: Slow
Soil: Light (sandy), medium, heavy (clay)
Shade: Semi-shade, no shade
Moisture: Dry, moist
Things to keep in mind
The roots contain saponins. Whilst saponins are quite toxic to people, they are poorly absorbed by the body and so tend to pass straight through. They are also destroyed by prolonged heat, such as slow baking in an oven. Saponins are found in many common foods such as beans. Saponins are much more toxic to some creatures, such as fish, and hunting tribes have traditionally put large quantities of them in streams, lakes etc in order to stupefy or kill the fish.