Accession Count: 47
Common Name:
banana yucca
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Yucca baccata
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Yucca baccata, also known as 'banana yucca', is an evergreen accent plant with long sword-shaped leaves that are blue-green in color. The leaves are 28 inches long, and about two and a quarter inches wide, with margins that are brown and coarse with fibers, and sharply pointed tips. They all protrude from the center of the plant creating a stiff cluster of leaves that grows to a height of up to six feet, and width of four to 15 feet when mature. Y. baccata is normally found as a stemless plant but can sometimes grow in a small bundle of decumbent stems. During early spring and summer a dense cluster of white, droopy flowers will extend upwards from the center of the plant, reaching up to two feet tall. Banana yucca will then produce short green fruits that are fleshy and take on the shape of a banana (1,2,3).
Compound:
Yuc bac
Geographic Origin:
U.S. Southwest, Mexico, California
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Y. baccata is native to desert regions of North America. Particularly found in the states of Arizona, California, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, and Texas; as well as Chihuahua, Coahuila, and Sonora, Mexico. It has even been reported to be found in southern Australia (3,4).
Cultivation Notes:
Banana yucca is very cold-hardy and drought tolerant, making it one of the toughest native plants in the region. The hardiness of Y. baccata allows it to survive extremely cold temperatures, as low as 0 deg. F. No additional water is required for the care of this plant, although it can use some during extremely dry and warm months. For optimal growth, it should be planted in coarse, well-drained soils, with full sun exposure (1). Banana yucca can be propagated from seeds, germinating best in 60-70 °F, and can also grow from rhizomes, stem cuttings, and offsets from established plants (2,4).
Ethnobotany:
In landscapes, Y. baccata is often used for outstanding individual display, and makes for a relatively impenetrable barrier thanks to the sharp, pointed ends of the leaves. Transition/Arid zones are best suited when using this yucca when using xeriscape techniques (1). Many Native American Tribes have been known to utilize banana yucca for a long time now. The succulent banana-shaped fruit was a traditional food, often pit-roasted or pounded to a pulp into flat cakes. The fibers of the leaves allowed natives to make many different items such as sandals, baskets, nets,and hair brushes; and the roots are even known to be used to make soaps (4,5).This species of plant listed as "salvage restricted" and "harvest restricted" under the Arizona Native Plant Law, meaning that permits from the Arizona Department of Agriculture are required to remove the plant, as well as cut and remove the plant's wood, fibers, or by-products (1,4).
Height:
0 - 5 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Screen
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1. Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern Landscapes. University of Texas Press, 1993.
