Spoonleaf Yucca, Adam's needle, Desert Candle, Needle Palm, St. Peter's Palm, Spanish Bayonet, Comm
Yucca filamentosa

Family: Agavaceae

What it is like

Bloom Color: White. Main Bloom Time: Early spring, Late spring, Mid spring. Form: Rounded.

Yucca filamentosa is an evergreen Shrub growing to 1.2 m (4ft) by 0.6 m (2ft in) at a medium rate. See above for USDA hardiness. It is hardy to UK zone 4. It is in leaf all year, in flower from July to August. 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): 1.2

Where it is found

Sand dunes, waste ground and pine forests along the coastal plain.

South-eastern N. America - Southern New Jersey to Florida. Naturalized in S. Europe.

Conservation Status:

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Antigua and Barbuda, Asia, Australia, Egypt, Europe, France, India, Mediterranean, Myanmar, North Africa, North America, Turkey, USA,

How it is used

Food

Rating: 3

Fruit - raw or cooked. Large and fleshy. The fruit is often dried for winter use. Flowers - raw or dried, crushed and used as a flavouring. A tasty addition to the salad bowl. We have found the flowers to be fairly bitter. Flowering stem - cooked and used like asparagus.

Stem: this often intergrades into leaves.

Medicine

Rating: 1

Medicinal Parts: Leaves and roots of non-flowering plants. A poultice made from the roots is used in the treatment of sores, skin diseases and sprains. Liver and gallbladder disorders.

Poultice: A moist, usually warm or hot, mass of plant material applied to the skin in the treatment of burns etc.

Salve: Soothes and heals damaged skin.

Other

Rating: 4

A fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making ropes, cloth, baskets and mats. The fibre can also be used for making paper The leaves are harvested in summer, they are scraped to remove the outer skin and are then soaked in water for 24 hours prior to cooking. The fibres are cooked for 2 hours with lye and then beaten in a ball mill for 4 hours. They make a cream paper. The leaves are used as paint brushes. The roots are rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute for washing the hair, body and clothing.

Brush: Used for cleaning clothes, as a paintbrush etc.

Fibre: Used for making cloth, rope, paper etc.

Paper: Related to the entry for Fibre, these plants have been specifically mentioned for paper making.

Soap: Plants used directly as a soap substitute.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Agroforestry Services: Living fence: Simply managed rows of shrubs and trees.

Industrial Crop: Fiber: Clothing, rugs, sheets, blankets etc. Currently, almost none of our fiber are produced from perennial crops but could be!

Management: Standard: Plants grow to their standard height. Harvest fruit, seeds, or other products. Non-Destructive management systems.

Regional Crop: These crops have been domesticated and cultivated regionally but have not been adopted elsewhere and are typically not traded globally, Examples in this broad category include perennial cottons and many nuts and staple fruits.

Carbon Farming: Plants that can be a critical part of the solution to climate problems. The Carbon Farming Solution - Eric Toensmeier.

How it is grown

Landscape Uses:Border, Container, Erosion control, Foundation, Ground cover, Massing, Rock garden, Seashore, Specimen. A very easily grown plant, it thrives in most soils but prefers a sandy loam and full exposure to the south. Dislikes peaty or chalky soils. Can succeed in light shade. Plants are hardier when grown on poor sandy soils. Established plants are very drought resistant. Plants are hardy to at least -15°c when grown in a well-drained soil. This species is one of the toughest members of the genus and once established is capable of surviving, and even thriving, despite considerable neglect. Plants growing in dense weed competition on our Cornwall trial grounds have managed to spread and even flower. A very ornamental and free flowering species, there are some named varieties. 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 about four 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:Attracts birds, Attractive foliage, North American native, Attracts butterflies, 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. Division of suckers in late spring. Larger divisions can be planted out direct into their permanent positions. We have found that it is best to pot up smaller divisions and grow them on in light shade in a greenhouse or cold frame until they are growing away well. Plant them out in the following spring.

Best place to grow: Cultivated Beds;

Habit: Shrub

Hardiness: 4-10

Growth: Medium

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.

Its other names

Local names

Eve's thread, Needle palm,

Synonyms

Y. concava.