The Yucca is in bloom. Larry, my late husband called it a shit-sum-bitch tree because that's what he said every time he bumped into it. It's a sharp little beast, doesn't like anything to get to close to it. I thought it had to have some redeeming qualities so I googled it and found that it does! The tough leaves can be torn into strips and braided, making a very strong twine that can them be used for weaving and other things. The next time my roof is blown off by a hurricane I can cover it with yucca leaves! Trust me, you can't even pull the dead ones off of the plant. The roots and leaves can be boiled and made into tea that will relieve inflammation and arthritis. It is thought to be good for your heart, cholesterol and maybe even your liver. The flowers are edible and can be made into some tasty dishes from what I read.
The Yucca moth and the Yucca plant are dependent on each other for survival. The moth will starve without the plant and the plant can't reproduce without the moth. I read that after it blooms, it dies. Well, mine has bloomed many times and it's still thriving. Does that mean I don't have any moths? It has had babies grow up from the sides but I think those are just offshoots from the roots. I'll have to do some investigating tomorrow in the daylight. It has me curious now.
I really should get it out from in front of the porch. You could put an eye out with the ends of the leaves and I hear the plants themselves are quite difficult to get rid of but I have grown fond of it and I love those flowers.
2 comments:
I wonder about the dying-after-it-blooms part because none of the Yucca's we know of do that. Maybe they meant the blossom? Ours just kept getting bigger every year. Transplanting them is a nightmare!
I like Larry's name for it, so appropriate.:) And it's a damn good thing it's good for something eh?
I looked at it and checked out more pics of it online and I think they mean that part of the plant dies off and new growth starts. Duh, doesn't that happen with most plants? Too much common sense information. We started with one plant and soon there were three all in one spot. They started falling over and Chico had to take the dang chain saw to one just to get it out of there. It's now growing back. Sigh.
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