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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].



Edible Uses:  Fruit - raw or cooked[177, 181, 183]. The fruit is a dry capsule up to 5cm long and 36mm wide[229]. Seedpods[181]. We are not sure how this differs from the fruit but one report mentions edible fruit as well as an edible seedpod. Flowers - raw or cooked[177, 181, 257]. Delicious raw, they can also be dried, crushed and used as a flavouring[164]. The flowers are boiled and eaten as a vegetable[257]. Used in preserves[183]. Flowering stem - cooked and used like asparagus[164]. The stems were slow baked for several hours, then dried and broken into pieces to store. They would be soaked in water to soften them before being eaten[257].

For further Yucca elata gardening information
click on one of the blue links below

 
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'.
View their bibliography
Useful Edible Plants Future

 


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