Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata)

   
 

Yucca elata Fig 1. Eagle Flat, Hudspeth County, Texas. Fig. 2. Interstate 10 near Gage, Luna County, New Mexico. Photographs by Wynn Anderson.

• Common English Names: Soaptree Yucca
• Common Spanish Names: Palma datilillo, Palmita, Izote de amole
• Scientific Name: Yucca elata (YUCK-uh ee-LAY-tuh)
• Family: Asparagaceae (formerly Agavaceae) (Asparagus Family)
• Geographic Range: California, Arizona, New Mexico to western Texas and adjacent Chihuahua, Mexico.
• Description: Low shrubby to upright (3 to 10'), freely suckering below, rarely branching above but sometimes multiple headed, aborescent (tree-like) plant with numerous long, thinly linear, semi-flexible, light green leaves, each terminated by a sharp needle like point, and spherically radiating from the crown(s) of a thickened semi-succulent trunk.
• Landscape Usage: This species does not have a shallow, fibrous, radiating root system like the broad-leaf yuccas and does not transplant well when the thick, deep penetrating, woody roots are cut. Plants commercially grown from seed are available but require deep sandy soil to thrive.
• Ethnobotany: Roots, trunk and flowers contain chemical saponiums which produce detergent-like suds in water and were used as a soap substitute known as "amole". Saponiums are also paralyzing toxic to fish and crushed plant parts containing saponiums have been used for fishing by indigenous people world-wide.
  

  Last Update: 25 Aug 2013