Accession Count: 11
Common Name:
Spanish dagger
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Yucca treculeana
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
This yucca is a small, evergreen, treelike shrub with long, linear leaves that measure from two to four and a half feet long and up to two inches wide. They are blue-green to yellow-green in color and slightly concave, with margins that are fringed with curly or straight stiff filaments (1,2,4). The trunk is typically branched, but can sometimes be found possessing a single stem. The plant as a whole is commonly found at heights of three to 10 feet but is known to reach up to 24 feet, and measures three to six feet wide depending on the specimen's branching (4,6). The woody stems are covered in dry, dead leaves. Throughout the spring, it produces a flower stalk that reaches two feet from the terminal rosette of leaves, displaying large cluster of small, white bell-shaped flowers, that later give rise to small, dark brown capsules that are the fruit (1,4,5,6).
Compound:
Yuc fax
Geographic Origin:
Texas/Northeast Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
This plant is native to the northern region of the Chihuahuan Desert in western Texas, southeastern New Mexico, northeastern Chihuahua, and northern Coahuila (4).
Cultivation Notes:
This yucca has evolved to require little water and should be protected from excessive watering, especially in the winter months. Plant in a location that has excellent drainage, and allows it to be fully exposed to sunlight. It is cold-hardy to temperatures a low as 10oF (3,4).
Ethnobotany:
This is a great accent plant for arid, desert landscapes. Take care to avoid spines at the leaf tip and plant away from pedestrian areas. The dead leaves can be removed for a more tidy appearance but it is thought the dead leaves protect the trunk from sun and cold (4). Historically, the fruit was heavily consumed by Native American tribes. The fruit was eaten raw, or dried and stored for later consumption. The Apache would bake the fruit and pound it to form a pulp. The extracted juice thinned with water was a popular beverage and the pulp was formed into small cakes (7). The leaves generate a strong coarse fiber that was used to make ropes, clothing and other commonly utilized textiles (6).
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
- The American Southwest, Yucca Torreyi -- Retrieved Oct. 28, 2018
- Hochstatter, Fritz. Yucca 2 (Agavaceae): Indehiscent-fruited species in the Southwest, Midwest and east of the USA. Mannheim: Fritz Hochstätter, 2002. Print.
- Irish, Mary, and Gary Irish. Agaves, Yuccas, and Related Plants: a Gardener's Guide. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 2000. Print.
- Jones, Warren D, and Charles M Sacamano. Landscape Plants for Dry Regions: More Than 600 Species from around the World. Fisher Books, 2000.
- Texas Native Plants Database -- Retrieved Oct. 28, 2018
- Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center -- Retrieved Oct. 28, 2018
- Moerman, Daniel E.. Native American Ethnobotany. Portland, OR: Timber Press, 1998. Print.
