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Yucca filamentosa Spoonleaf yucca Evergreen shrub (1 Page of 5) The Yucca filamentosa plant species is found in Southeastern N. America - Southern New Jersey to Florida. Naturalized in S. Europe. It is a member of the Agavaceae family. Common gardeners may know the plant as Spoonleaf yucca. Some home gardeners know the variety as Y. concava. Cultivation | Propagation | General Uses Medicinal | Edible Uses Latin Name: Yucca filamentosa Common Name: Spoonleaf yucca Family: Agavaceae Author: L. 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: 1.2 Mature Width: 0.6 Habitat: Sand dunes, waste ground and pine forests along the coastal plain[11, 43].
General Uses: A fibre obtained from the leaves is used for making ropes, cloth, baskets and mats[21, 46, 61, 82, 169]. The fibre can also be used for making paper[189] 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[189].
The leaves are used as paint brushes[92].
The roots are rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute for wshing hte hair, body and clothing[46, 61, 82, 257].
For further Yucca filamentosa 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

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