Yucca baccata Torr.

Blue yucca, banana yucca

Banana yuccas are native to the southwestern United States, southern Rockies, and parts of Mexico.

Plants: Up to 5′ (1.5 m) around.

Leaves: Banana yuccas have large, stiff leaves 1–3′ ⨉ 1–2″ (30–101 ⨉ 2.5–5 cm). Leaves are blue-green, emerging from a common base, narrow and pointed, like an oversized clump of grass.

Flowers: The central flowering stalk, which is often elevated well above the cluster of leaves in other yuccas, may be within or barely above the leaves in this species, about 3–5′ (1–1.5 m) high. Flowers are cream-colored, and copious, 1½–3½″ (3.8–8.9 cm) long, hanging downward like inverted urns. Flowers appear from April to July.

Fruits: The name “banana yucca” refers to this yucca’s large fruits. The species name baccata means “fruited” as well. The cylindrical, fleshy fruit is 3–7″ long ⨉ 2″ across (8–18 ⨉ 6 cm), and tastes similar to sweet potato. Seeds are rough and black, ⅛–¼ ⨉ 1/32–1/16″ (3–8 ⨉ 1–2 mm).

Habitats: In pinyon-juniper, desert grassland, creosote bush scrub, sagebrush, and ponderosa pine colonies at elevations between 4921–8202′ (1.5–2.5 km).

See the Yucca page for a comparison with other yuccas.

Edibility: The Paiutes—native Americans who inhabited portions of the southwestern United States—dried the relatively large fruits for winter use. After removing fiber and seeds, fruits can also be baked and eaten.

Online References:

References:

Older scientific or horticultural names

Yucca baccata description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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