Dasylirion wheeleri

Dasylirion wheeleri (desert spoon, spoon flower, sotol, Wheeler sotol or common sotol) is a species of flowering plant in the asparagus family (Asparagaceae), native to arid environments of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States.

Description

An evergreen tree. The trunk is un-branched and 1.5-3 m tall. The leaves are blue-green and very spiny. The leaves are 1 m long. They radiate out in a circle. The flower spike is very tall. It can be 4.5 m tall. The flowers are very small and cream. The fruit are brown nuts.

Edible Uses

Drink. The edible parts are the sap, crown, flowering stalk, flowers, and seeds. Of these, the flowering stalks and flowers are the most desirable practical food parts because they can be harvested without killing the plant and because they are often both abundant and flavorful. Edible Uses & Rating. Common sotol ranks as a high-value traditional desert food. The flowering stalk is one of the better renewable wild vegetables of arid lands, and the flowers are highly desirable. The crown is substantial but destructive to harvest. Seeds are edible, though less central in your source notes than flowers and stalks. Taste, Processing & Kitchen Notes. The young flowering stalk tastes somewhat sweet, like asparagus with a mild soapy accent. This soapiness varies but is usually tolerable and often improves with cooking. Texture is always somewhat stringy, though young inner tissues and upper sections are better than lower woody sections. The flowers are even better than the stalks: sweet, complex, and free of the harsh saponins that plague many other desert monocot flowers. They reportedly pair especially well with corn and are useful both fresh and cooked. Cooking also helps manage the heavy insect load commonly found among the flowers. Seeds were not sampled in your source material, but the genus is documented as seed-bearing and edible in this species. Seasonality (Phenology). Flower stalks usually emerge from April to June, though later flowering can occur with sufficient rainfall. Flowering follows a few weeks after stalk emergence. Flowers are available for a relatively brief period during late spring and sometimes again after summer rains. Seeds follow flowering. The crown is available year-round. Safety & Cautions (Food Use). Common sotol is physically hazardous to harvest because of its stiff, toothed leaves and sharp terminal spine. Eye and hand protection are strongly advised. Bending stalks to access upper flowers can cause them to snap and should be avoided. Crowns are destructive to harvest and should be taken only where legally and ecologically appropriate. Flowers are often full of insects and should be inspected and usually cooked before use. Harvest & Processing Workflow. Young flowering stalks should be cut before they become woody. Outer tissues can be trimmed if fibrous, and the softer green core cooked by boiling, steaming, or roasting. Woody stalks are better tapped for sap than eaten. Flowers can be stripped from the stalk, shaken or rinsed clean, then toasted, steamed, or added to cooked dishes. Crowns must be excavated and slow-cooked or pit-roasted. Seeds, when gathered, should be cleaned and dried. Cultivar/Selection Notes. No food cultivars are in common use. Landscape selections sometimes emphasize leaf color, symmetry, and compactness, but the species is generally grown from seed rather than improved lines. Look-Alikes & Confusion Risks. Common sotol resembles Texas sotol and green sotol, but its leaves are usually more dull, dusty, or bluish-green than the bright green Texas species, and unlike green sotol, its leaf teeth point forward rather than backward. It differs from agaves by its superior ovary and from yuccas by its unisexual flowers. Traditional/Indigenous Use Summary. Common sotol is an important Native American food resource in southern Arizona and New Mexico. The flowering stalks, flowers, crown, and other tissues fit clearly into longstanding desert food traditions, especially where reliable perennial food reserves were highly valued. The central part of the plant can be cooked and eaten. The crown of the plant was baked by the native North American Indians then dried, pounded into a powder and made into cakes. They would also peel the baked crown, crush it, mix it with water then ferment it and use it as a beverage. The flowering stems can be roasted, boiled or eaten raw. The trunk is rich in sugar, the pith can be used to make the alcoholic beverage 'sotol'.

Traditional Uses

The head contains a sugary sap which is fermented. The drink is called sotol.

This uses section is brief — help expand it

Medicinal Uses

Dasylirion wheeleri (Common Sotol/Desert Spoon) has historical, mainly traditional, uses rather than documented, modern pharmacological ones. Its primary application is for food and, significantly, as a fermented, alcohol-based beverage made from its roasted heart, which was consumed by indigenous peoples.

Known Hazards

Common sotol is physically hazardous to harvest because of its stiff, toothed leaves and sharp terminal spine. Eye and hand protection are strongly advised. Bending stalks to access upper flowers can cause snapping and should be avoided. Crowns are destructive to harvest and should be taken only where legally and ecologically appropriate. Flowers are often full of insects and should be inspected and usually cooked before use.

Distribution

It grows in arid places. It can grow in average to poor, well-drained soil. It can grow in full or part sun. It suits hardiness zones 9-11. In Brisbane Botanical gardens.

Where It Grows

Australia, Mexico, North America, USA,

Cultivation

Common sotol is one of the most useful perennial desert food plants in the U.S. flora. It offers a rare combination of renewability, abundance, and multiple edible parts. For both ethnobotanical and practical reasons, it deserves recognition as a major traditional food plant of the arid Southwest. Growing Conditions. This species thrives in full sun, rocky or mineral soils, and excellent drainage. It tolerates heat, drought, wind, and poor fertility very well. It is especially successful in arid climates with low humidity and relatively dry winters. Habitat & Range. Common sotol occurs primarily in southern Arizona and New Mexico, with extensions into adjacent regions of northern Mexico. It grows in deserts, mesas, rocky slopes, and lower mountain habitats. Size & Landscape Performance. This species is highly architectural, forming dramatic spherical rosettes and tall flowering stalks. It is one of the better desert accent plants for large xeriscapes and naturalistic dryland gardens. Cultivation (Horticulture). Common sotol is a strong candidate for desert landscaping and water-wise design. It should be planted in full sun and lean, sharply drained soil. Once established, it needs very little care. It is slow to moderate in growth and highly durable under heat and drought. Pests & Problems. Generally pest resistant. The main problem is rot under poor drainage or heavy irrigation. Physical injury during maintenance is also common because of the leaf armature. Identification & Habit. Common sotol is a dioecious, polycarpic, basal-rosette perennial with a large woody caudex mostly below ground. Leaves are long, narrow, and ribbon-like, armed with stout marginal teeth and a spiny tip. Flower stalks are tall and bear dense clusters of small unisexual flowers. Fruits are dry, 3-winged capsules. Pollinators. The numerous flowers are likely visited by a broad range of insects, especially bees, flies, beetles, and other generalist desert pollinators. The abundant flowering display makes the plant an important seasonal nectar and pollen source. Requires a very well-drained soil in a sheltered sunny position. This species is not very cold-hardy, and is said to require a minimum winter temperature of 10°c. However, plants can survive outdoors in the very mildest areas of Britain if given some protection, such as a south-facing wall and a suitable soil. Plants are sometimes used in sub-tropical bedding schemes in Britain. Common sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) belongs to the asparagus family (Asparagaceae) and the genus Dasylirion. Common names include common sotol and Wheeler’s sotol. It is a perennial desert monocot native to the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. In cultivation, it typically performs best in USDA Hardiness Zones 7–10. Mature foliage rosettes are usually about 1–1.5 m tall and 1–2 m wide, while flower stalks can rise several meters above the plant.

Propagation

Sow seed in spring in a greenhouse. Once large enough to handle, prick seedlings out into individual pots and grow on under glass for at least their first winter. Plant out into permanent positions in late spring or early summer, after the last expected frosts.

Other Uses

The leaves are used for thatching, basket making, and weaving into hats, mats, and similar items.

Notes

Also put in the family Nolinaceae.

Synonyms

Also Known As

Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon.

References (12)

• 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)
• Brickell, C. (Ed.), 1999, The Royal Horticultural Society A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants. Convent Garden Books. p 348
• Etherington, K., & Imwold, D., (Eds), 2001, Botanica's Trees & Shrubs. The illustrated A-Z of over 8500 trees and shrubs. Random House, Australia. p 257
• Facciola, S., 1998, Cornucopia 2: a Source Book of Edible Plants. Kampong Publications. p 3
• http://en.hortipedia.com

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