Yucca filamentosa and Yucca flaccida are very closely related and perhaps are not distinct species[].

Common Name: Spoonleaf Yucca

General Information

Yucca filamentosa is an evergreen shrub producing a rosette of spear-shaped leaves 50 - 75cm long and 2 - 4cm wide from a long, thick, mainly underground stem with a very short, unbranched, above-ground stem up to 50cm tall. The plant forms a cluster of rosettes plus one or more flowering stems up to 4.5 metres tall[].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local use as a food, medicine and source of materials. The roots of Yucca species are rich in saponins and have a wide range of applications. The plant is commonly grown as an ornamental in gardens.
Yucca filamentosa has a wide range, it can be abundant and even though the population is now fragmented due to the expansion of agriculture, the decline is not sufficient to place the species in a threatened category. As with all Yucca species, however, this species has a specific pollinator, the Yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella) which does not fly long distances. Since the subpopulations of this Yucca grow in isolated patches, genetic exchange between subpopulations is limited and therefore any habitat destruction between subpopulations could threatened the species. The plant is currently classified as 'Least Concern' in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species(2020)[].

Known Hazards

The roots contain saponins[].
Although poisonous, saponins also have a range of medicinal applications and many saponin-rich plants are used in herbalism (particularly as emetics, expectorants and febrifuges) or as sources of raw materials for the pharmaceutical industry. Saponins are also found in a number of common foods, such as many beans.
Saponins have a quite bitter flavour and are in general poorly absorbed by the human body, so most pass through without harm. They can be removed by carefully leaching in running water. Thorough cooking, and perhaps changing the cooking water once, will also normally remove most of them. However, it is not advisable to eat large quantities of raw foods that contain saponins.
Saponins are much more toxic to many cold-blooded 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 and make them easy to catch[].

Botanical References

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Range

South-eastern N. America - Louisiana, north to Maryland, east to Florida

Habitat

Sand dunes, waste ground and pine forests along the coastal plain[, ]. Dry, sandy soils along the coast, rocky and sandy places, bluffs, thin woods, oldfields and other open areas[].

Properties

Conservation Status	Least Concern
Edibility Rating
Medicinal Rating
Other Uses Rating
Habit	Evergreen Shrub
Height	0.80 m
Growth Rate	Medium
Pollinators	Hand
Cultivation Status	Ornamental, Wild

Cultivation Details

Yucca filamentosa is a plant of semi-arid regions in southern N. America and can tolerate occasional short-lived temperatures down to around -15°c. It is also relatively tolerant of moist conditions, making this one of the easiest Yuccas to grow in the temperate zone[].
A very easily grown plant, it thrives in most soils but prefers a sandy loam and full exposure to the sun[]. 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[].
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[].
Yuccas are pollinated by small, white Yucca moths (Tegeticula yucasella and related species) with which they have a special plant-insect mutualism. At night, the fragrant flowers attract the female moth that feeds on the nectar. She then rolls pollen from the flowers into a ball that is three times the size of her head and carries the pollen ball to the next flower. There, she first lays eggs inside the immature ovary and then deposits the pollen on the flower’s stigma ensuring that seeds will form to feed her progeny. Because the larvae mature before they are able to consume all of
the seeds (60 to 80% of the seeds remain viable), the plants are able to reproduce as well[]. In regions where the moth cannot live and, if fruit and seed are required, then 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[]

Edible Uses

Fruit - raw or cooked[, , ]. Large and fleshy[, ]. The fruit is often dried for winter use[]. The oblong fruit is around 38 - 50mm long and 20mm wide[].

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[].

Medicinal

The roots are antiinflammatory, antitumor, antiviral[].
The roots of Yucca species are rich in saponins and medicinally active compounds. The roots, harvested when the plant is not in flower, are used to make a health-promoting drink. It has been shown to lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the blood, to lower blood pressure and to reduce symptoms of osteoarthritis such as pain, swelling and stiffness. Yucca schidigera seems to be the species most often quoted, though all species contain the saponins[, ].
Taken orally, the root is used in the treatment of osteoarthritis, hypertension, migraine headaches, colitis, stomach disorders, hypercholesterolemia, diabetes, poor circulation, and liver and gallbladder disorders[].
Applied topically, it is used to treat sores, skin diseases, inflammation, bleeding, sprains, broken limbs, joint pain, baldness, and dandruff[].
A poultice made from the roots is used in the treatment of sores, skin diseases and sprains[, ].

The root is a source of steroids of potential use in the pharmaceutical industry[].
Many compounds from yucca have been used in the synthesis of new drugs[].

Other Uses

The fibre obtained from the leaves of this plant is the strongest fibre that is obtained from native N. American plants[]. It is used for making ropes, cloth, baskets and mats[, , , , ]. The fibre can also be used for making paper[]
The green leaves are easily split into long strips that can be plied into cord[]. The leaves have long, very strong fibres, a type of sisal, which were twisted into a strong thread that was used as cordage for binding and to construct baskets, fishing nets, fishing lines and clothing[].
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[, , , ]. The roots were prepared for use as a soap by boiling them and pounding them into a mush[].
The juice of the plant has a wide variety of uses. In agriculture it is used as a base in liquid fertilizers where its ability to reduce surface tension of irrigation water greatly assists penetration in heavy soils; it assists in soil flocculation to a marked degree; it serves as a carrying agent for the plant-food chemicals[]. The yucca extract itself is rich in the vital minor elements including boron, iron, magnesium, manganese, copper and zinc[].
The juice is said to be widely used as a carbon dioxide stabilizer in the control of oil fires, and saponin from yucca is considered a good base for soaps, shampoos, cleansing powders, and tooth pastes and powders[].

Propagation

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 mid spring 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.