Yucca faxoniana
Sarg.
Faxon yucca, Broad-leaved yucca
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(c) Curren Frasch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Curren Frasch
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Curren Frasch, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Curren Frasch
iNaturalist· cc-by-nc
(c) Alan R Lusk, some rights reserved (CC BY-NC), uploaded by Alan R Lusk
Summary
Source: WikipediaYucca faxoniana is a bladed evergreen shrub of the genus Yucca. It is known by the common names Faxon yucca, Spanish dagger, and giant dagger.
Description
An evergreen shrub. It grows 3-5 m tall and spreads 2-3 m wide. It keeps growing from year to year. The old leaves remain hanging down on the plant. The trunk is stout and upright. It is 30 cm across. The leaves are in a ring. They are stiff and pointed. They are 0.9 m long and have sharply pointed tips. The edges can be red or black with curly threads. The flower stalk at the top is 0.9-1.2 m long. The flowers are creamy white and bell shaped. The fruit are reddish seed pods.
Edible Uses
Native Americans used the fruit as a food source—raw, roasted, dried, and ground into meals. They also used the plant leaves as a fiber in basketry, cloth, mats, ropes, and sandals. The roots were used as a red pattern element in Apache baskets.
Distribution
It is a warm temperate to subtropical plant. It suits hardiness zones 8-10.
Where It Grows
Australia, Mexico, North America, USA,
Notes
There are about 40 Yucca species. Also put in the family Agavaceae.
Synonyms
Also Known As
Palma criolla
References (6)
- Beckstrom-Sternberg, Stephen M., and James A. Duke. "The Foodplant Database." http://probe.nalusda.gov:8300/cgi-bin/browse/foodplantdb.(ACEDB version 4.0 - data version July 1994)
- Britton & Shafer, N. Amer. trees 157, fig. 117. 1908 (As Yucca torreyi)
- Cundall, P., (ed.), 2004, Gardening Australia: flora: the gardener's bible. ABC Books. p 1492
- Kermath, B. M., et al, 2014, Food Plants in the Americas: A survey of the domesticated, cultivated and wild plants used for Human food in North, Central and South America and the Caribbean. On line draft. p 933
- Loughmiller, C & L., 1985, Texas Wildflowers. A Field Guide. University of Texas, Austin. p 151 (As Yucca torreyi)
Show all 6 references Hide references
- Medsger, O. P., 1939, Edible Wild Plants. Macmillan Company. p 3 (As Yucca macrocarpa)
