Yucca elata Soap tree (Agavaceae) Evergreen shrub

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Yucca elata
Soap tree
Evergreen shrub
(1 Page of 5)

The Yucca elata plant species is found in Southern N. America - Texas. Arizona, northern Mexico. It is a member of the Agavaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Soap tree. Some home gardeners know the variety as Y. radiosa.

Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

Latin Name:  Yucca elata
Common Name:  Soap tree
Family:  Agavaceae
Author:  Engelm.

Known Hazards:  The roots contain saponins[222]. 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[K]. 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[K].

Mature Height:  2   Mature Width:  0.5

Habitat:  Mesas, desert washes, plains and desert grasslands, and in deserts, normally between 500 - 2000 metres[229].

Cultivation Notes: Thrives in any soil but prefers a sandy loam and full exposure to the south[11, 200]. Plants are hardier when grown on poor sandy soils[200]. Established plants develop a very deep, branching root system and are very drought resistant[82, 200]. Plants are not very hardy in Britain, requiring greenhouse protection according to some reports[1, 200] whilst another report says that they are hardy to about -30°c[164]. A slow-gowing and fairly long-lived plant, some specimens may be 300 years old[229]. 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[233]. However, the crown will usually produce a number of sideshoots before it dies and these will grow on to flower in later years[233]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200]. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]

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Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses
Medicinal | Edible Uses

The information above has been supplied solely via the hard work and dedication of the team at 'Plants for a Future'.
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