Dwarf Yucca
Yucca aloifolia

Family: Asparagaceae

What it is like

An evergreen shrub. It grows 3-5 m tall. The leaves are sword shaped and have needle like spines at the ends. The leaves occur in dense rings around the stem. The leaves are 50 cm long. The old dry leaves hang down near the stem. The flowering cluster is cone shaped and 50 cm high. The flowers are bell shaped and creamy white. They often have purple streaks. Old plants can bend over and send up shoots forming clumps.

There are about 40 Yucca species. Also put in the family Agavaceae.

Where it is found

A tropical plant. It suits moist and dry climates in open soils. It can grow in sandy soils and along shorelines. It is salt tolerant. It does best in a gritty, well drained soil. It needs full sun. In Argentina it grows below 500 m above sea level. It suits hardiness zones 8-11. Geelong Botanical Gardens.

Countries/locations it is found in

Africa, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Asia, Australia, Bahamas. Bermuda, Caribbean, Central America, Cuba, Dominican Republic, East Africa, Europe, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Indonesia, Italy, Jamaica, Mediterranean, Mexico, Mozambique, Myanmar, North America, Pakistan, Puerto Rico, SE Asia, Slovenia, South Africa, South America, Uruguay, USA (country/location of origin), West Indies

How it is used for food

The flowers are fried and eaten. They are also eaten in salads and sweetened and dried. The fleshy fruit is edible. The tender flower stalks are boiled and eaten.

Edible parts

Leaves, flowers, fruit

How it is grown

It can be grown from seeds, offsets or root cuttings.

It grows quickly.

Its other names

Local names

Aloe Yucca, Alojelistna juka, Dagger-plant, Isote, Spanish bayonet, Thagya-hian-thwa, Yuka belati

Synonyms

Yucca arcuata Haw.; Yucca atkinsii Baker; Yucca yucatana Engelm.; and several others