Yucca gloriosa

Candle Yucca (Yucca gloriosa ): In Culture in bloom in October.

The Candle Yucca (Yucca gloriosa ) ( English common name: " Moundlily Yucca ", "Soft -tipped Yucca ," " Spanish -Bayonet ", " Sea Islands Yucca ") is a native North American plant of the genus Yucca in the family of asparagus plants ( Asparagaceae ).

Description

Yucca gloriosa is a woody, perennial plant. Often it grows for many years stemless with a basal rosette of leaves before forming a tribe that lifts the leaf rosette usually up to about 2 m above the ground. Old plants branch out and form clumps of several leaf rosettes. It reaches heights of growth of 0.5 to 2.5 meters. Yucca gloriosa is relatively slow-growing. The tough, sword-shaped, with parallel venation leaves are about 0.3 to 0.5 m long and 2 to 3.5 cm wide. They are mostly blue-green to gray-green and smooth-edged serrated to easily. The blades terminating in sharp points. Often the leaves are stiff from the outside; often they bend also approximately in the middle and hang down slightly outward.

The flowering period falls in the autumn. The Rispige inflorescence is about 0.5 to 1.4 m high. The bell-shaped, drooping, fragrant flowers have a diameter of about 2 to 3.5 cm. The six equal -faceted, white, cream white to greenish bracts are 2 to 2.5 cm long and wide and are globose to campanulate together. The six stamens are about 0.6 cm long stamens. The light green stamp is about 1 cm long. The flowers are dependent for pollination on certain types of yucca moths. To ensure fruit set in crops, so the hand pollination is recommended. The leathery, berry-like, obovaten fruits have six ribs, 5-8 cm long and 2.5 cm wide. The thickened, black seeds have a diameter of 5 to 10 mm.

Yucca gloriosa is sensitive to moisture and therefore hardy conditionally. Adapted, established 25 year old copies are in Central Europe, Germany, Mannheim, hardy. In dry state during the winter months temperatures are below - 15 ° C survived. However, the plants are not recommended for areas with high rainfall. However, cultivated varieties are hardy.

Occurrence

The home of the Yucca gloriosa is located in the southeastern United States. Their original distribution area extends across the U.S. states of Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Florida. This species is wild in some countries.

It grows in the sand dunes and on the beach as well as in woodland. It is often associated with Yucca aloifolia, Yucca filamentosa and various Opuntia species.

Use

The Yucca gloriosa is cultivated as an ornamental plant in the open air, but is also used in Central Europe as a pot plant.

The fruits are eaten raw or cooked. Young inflorescences are prepared like asparagus.

The roots containing saponins are eaten cooked. The roots can be used due to their saponins as a soap substitute.

The fibers obtained from the leaves, are used to produce clothes, ropes, mats and baskets. Also a medical use is known.

System

The first description by the Swedish botanist Carl Linnaeus was published in 1753.

This species is classified within the genus Yucca in the same section Yucca; before it was placed in the section Sarcocarpa. Within the section Yucca type is again set in the Gloriosae series.

Synonyms

• Classified by Carriere 1868 as Yucca gloriosa acuminata
• Classified by Baker in 1870 as Yucca gloriosa recurvata
• Classified by Carriere in 1880 as Yucca gloriosa medio- picta

The stem -forming species reaches a height of 0.5 to 2.5 meters. In contrast to Yucca recurvifolia the leaves of Yucca gloriosa are hard, stiff and narrow. The late bloom in the fall is typical. While Yucca recurvifolia contrast, blooms in spring. In Europe, many different cultivars that are hardy exist.

Pictures

Closeup of a single flower

Hardy in Central Europe.

Yucca gloriosa ' medio- picta ', young plant.

Yucca gloriosa ' marginata ', 20 -year-old copy

Yucca gloriosa ' medio- picta ' leaves 30 cm long.

Made of yucca leaves.

Yucca gloriosa. Created image in late July in southern Bavaria