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Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera)

Common Name Latin Name Plant Family
Mojave Yucca
Yucca schidigera
Agavaceae

The leaves, or a fibre obtained from them, has been used for making ropes, baskets and mats[82, 169].

The strong fibres have been used to make shoes and sandals[257].

The leaves have been used to make brushes for body painting and for painting pots etc[257].

The roots are rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute[82, 257].

  • Medicinal Use

    None known

  • Edible Use

    Young flowering stems – chopped and cooked like asparagus[164] or baked like a sweet potato[183].

    Fruit – raw or cooked[257]. Baked then dried and ground into a powder then used in soups etc or made into a drink[257]. The fruit can also be used to make jellies[183].

    Flowers – raw or cooked[257]. They are delicious raw, and can also be dried, crushed and used as a flavouring[164] and can also be used in jellies[183].

  • Cautionary Notes

    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].

Cultivation & Habitat

Seed – sow spring in a greenhouse. Pre-soaking the seed for 24 hours in warm water may reduce the germination time. It usually germinates within 1 – 12 months if kept at a temperature of 20¡c. Prick out the seedlings into individual pots when they are large enough to handle and grow them on in the greenhouse or cold frame for at least their first two winters. Plant them out into their permanent positions in early summer and consider giving them some winter protection for at least their first winter outdoors – a simple pane of glass is usually sufficient[K]. Seed is not produced in Britain unless the flowers are hand pollinated. Root cuttings in late winter or early spring. Lift in April/May and remove small buds from base of stem and rhizomes. Dip in dry wood ashes to stop any bleeding and plant in a sandy soil in pots in a greenhouse until established[78].
Thrives in any soil but prefers a sandy loam and full exposure to the south[11]. Plants are hardier when grown on poor sandy soils[200]. Established plants are very drought tolerant[200]. In the plants native environment, its flowers can only be pollinated by a certain species of moth. This moth cannot live in Britain and, if fruit and seed is required, hand pollination is necessary. This can be quite easily and successfully done using something like a small paint brush. Individual crowns are monocarpic, dying after flowering[233]. However, the crown will usually produce a number of sideshoots before it dies and these will grow on to flower in later years[233]. Plants in this genus are notably resistant to honey fungus[200]. Members of this genus seem to be immune to the predations of rabbits[233]
South-western N. America – California, Arizona and Nevada.

Become ungovernable, break the chains of the matrix; grow and forage your own food and medicine.

*None of the information on this website qualifies as professional medical advice. Take only what resonates with your heart and use your own personal responsibility for what’s best for you. For more information [brackets] [000], see bibliography.