Agavaceae consists of about 18 genera and 550-600 species, among them the well-known Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia). The family is distributed throughout the planet's tropical, subtropical, and warm temperate regions, and species generally develop as woody shrubs or trees that put forth rosettes of sharply pointed leaves. Extracts from several Agavaceae plants are used in the production of alcoholic beverages, particularly Mezcal, varieties of which are made with 28 different species. The drink was of course made nightmarishly famous in Under the Volcano, a novel that Malcolm Lowry wrote and published while living here in British Columbia in the 1940s.
Yucca includes about 50 perennial, shrubby, and tree species renowned for their sharp leaves and their terminal clusters of creamy white flowers. The genus is native to the rocky montane and woodland soils of North, Central, and South America's hot and arid climate regions. Yucca enjoys a mutualistic relationship with the Yucca moth (Tegeticula yuccasella), which serves as its only means of pollination: the insect transports pollen from one specimen to another and in so doing lays an egg in one flower which, when hatched, feeds on some of the plant's developing seeds. Plants are often cultivated as ornamentals, through they produce fruits, seeds, and stems that are edible as well.
The pendulous flowers of today's plant, Yucca gloriosa 'Nobilis', were glazed with a few drops of rain when I passed them one afternoon a few weeks ago. This multi-stemmed specimen—which bears a paniculate inflorescence equipped with large cream-coloured flowers stained by a few drops of purple—is planted in a large concrete pot across the way from our Medieval Physic Garden, and rises to about 1.5 metres in height (the species reach up to 2.5 metres). In the wild, plants grow on sand dunes, and though they demand little care when cultivated, they do require well-drained soils. Readers are advised not to be fooled by the plant's serene and welcoming posture, for it is known to irritate the skin and, in some cases, to cause allergic reactions.
Great photo - and interesting commentary.
In the meagre little oblongs of poor earth along the storefronts on my street there are yuccas. They are very short, about 3' tall some of them, but despite the hardships of little water, hot sun, occasional dogs leaping up and watering them, they bloom beautifully for a short time.
The last sentence of the description really threw me for a loop! What chemicals are in the Yucca to cause such reactions? Do other animals react to this? Beautiful photo and writing. I am big fan!
I particularly enjoyed the literary reference. Will re-read Lowry with more botanically-sensitive eyes.
i live in zone 9 in florida
i have used yuccas as a fence
nice photo and write up thank you
I was also puzzled by the last sentence warning of caution regarding the plant. With regards the species of yucca or Spanish Dagger in the southwest I have always eaten the flower patels when out in the bush with no reactions. The texture of the flower petals is a little like Iceberg Lettuce and the aroma very perfumy, though with an ever so slight bitter after taste, but still very good.
In Anza where I live many of the older Cahuilla Indians still ate the youner immature green seed pods which appeared after flowering. No reactions.
Although the article does seem to cover numerous species and a broad area of the same plant type. Not that I'm an expert on all agave, I'm not, but I'm sure there are some that produce specific alkiloids which would cause reactions to some folks. Certainly Tequila has been known to cause radical reactions to many. *smile*
In Costa Rica many years ago, the cook at my aunt's farm served a dish of local yucca blooms battered and fried. It was a traditional dish in the highlands. They must have used whatever yucca was common around there. Bland but good.
Such a beauty!
I've always wanted to walk up close and see these flowers. They are blooming this time of year in California.