Yucca in Michigan?
Lance Sloan
My dad told me that it was a yucca. But I always thought that yucca was a
cactus-type plant (succulent?) and liked hot, dry areas. Michigan is like
that sometimes, but not in recent years.
The plant has long thin leaves which are a bit pointy/sharp at the tips.
The more mature leaves have hair-like curly fibers that stick out from the
edges. It seems to have a single, very long root that goes deep into the
ground. Deep compared to the low, round shape of the plant. All leaves
grow out from the center.
Also, a tall stalk grows out of the center of the plant and has flowers and
fruit. I've only seen the dead stalks, so I don't know what the flowers or
fruit look like. My dad told me that other people in mid-Michigan have had
these plants and the fruit looks like stubby cucumbers. In fact, they
pickle them like cucumbers and he's even seen them served in restauruants.
If the fruit is not touched, the whole stalk will turn brown, the fruit will
dry and split open in three parts. There are black seeds inside the dried
fruit.
What I need to know is, what is this thing? Is it really a yucca? Any
speculations on a scientific name?
Also, how would I care for this plant? I plan on keeping it in a pot on
my balcont and probably bring it in during the winter. (Even though they
seem to survive the winters here.) What size pot should I put it in?
How much sun/water does it like? The ones I have were growing in the
open, but under the shade of trees.
What is known about eating the fruit? How should it be prepared/pickled?
Any suggestions are appreciated. Please send me email, which I read more
often than news. I will post a summary later.
--
Lance Sloan lsl...@nova.gmi.edu
UNIX System Administrator GMI Engineering and Management Institute
Assistant Programmer Flint, Michigan, USA
Lance Sloan
Libby Goldstein
Re growing Yucca in MI in containers. Yes, several varieties of yucca will grow
in the north. I'm not sure how they would do in a container where their roots
are not well protected in winter. However, try using a large wooden one like a
half barrel. Wood is a better insulator than terra cotta or plastic. You
shouldn't have to bring it in for the winter. You might want to wrap the barrel
in some sort of insulation bat, tho.
I've not heard of eating the fruit, which doesn't mean your father isn't right
about it. In Puerto Rico, they eat another plant named 'yuca', but it's not the
same one.
Re pickling the fruit: almost any pickling recipe should do the job..
Jeffrey A. Del Col
Yucca, known around here as Spanish Bayonet, grows well in West Virginia.
It is a very common planting in cemeteries, and if you come across it in
fields, etc. you can be fairly sure there used to be a house there at some
time.
J. Del Col
--
Jeff Del Col * "The night, it teems with moon and promise."
A-B College * --Krazy Kat--
Philippi, WV *
*
Tom Rubinstein
From your description, it sure sounds like a yucca. Yucca plants are native
here (among other places). The long stem in the middle is called a "Lord's
Candle" or something like that. As to pickling the cucumber-like things
below the flowers, I've never heard of anybody doing that. My son just did a
report on native plants (including yucca) for a Junior High bio class. If you
want more info on yucca, email me directly and I will get the info from him.
--Tom
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Rubinstein "Opinions expressed are not necessarily
Motorola those of Motorola"
P.O. Box 85036
San Diego CA 92186-9130 email: ceg...@email.mot.com
Tel: 619 530-8432 Fax: 619 530-8470
Pamela Craig
(*Description of a yucca plant deleted*)
Yep sounds like a yucca. .. I"ve never eaten one, or seen them eaten before,
but hey to each there own. The flower is white. I think fundamentally
they're a hard plant to kill. I say this 'cause they grow in GA where
it's hot humid and WET and in KS where it's hot, dry, and cold in winters.
And they seem to live in either place just fine and dandy in the wild.
I"d say they need a fairly large pot due to the root system. But other
than that I"d be impressed if you killed it. (though I wouldn't recommend
watering it more than once a week.)
Pam Craig
pamc@cc
-Pam Craig (pa...@cc.gatech.edu)
Earth-daughter
yucca also grows there. i've also seen it growing in wetlands area in southern
georgia/northern florida. yucca is actually a very hardy plant, and there
are several kinds, of different sizes, and the flowers are typically white.
they're everywhere in this state, and the winters here (we're at 5,000
feet and above) can be bitterly cold at times, with lots of snow and wind
in the higher altitudes. so yucca requires neither hot nor dry weather
to survive.
you can eat the root of the yucca plant - it's sold in the grocery stores
here alongside cactus leaves (by the way, prickly pear fruit is excellent!)
- i *think* it is peeled and boiled or baked like a potato. i believe you can
also eat the flower stems but don't quote me on that.
the anasazi (the "old ones", a group of native americans who may have been
ancestors or at least partially so to the pueblo indians around here -
the culture is long gone) used almost every part of the yucca plant.
the fibers in the "leaves" are very good for rope, sandals, mats, and
anything else you can make from a tough, coarse, somewhat short fiber.
maybe this needs to be switched to rec.food.wild :) or rec.food.historic
or something.
sew
tha...@rhea.arc.ab.ca
>>This memorial day, I found an interesting plant at the front of the cemetary.
>>My dad told me that it was a yucca. But I always thought that yucca was a
>>cactus-type plant (succulent?) and liked hot, dry areas. Michigan is like
>>that sometimes, but not in recent years.
There are native yuccas that make it as far north as extreme southern
Alberta, and the climate is much more extreme there than in Michigan,
so you shouldn't have a problem with winter cold affecting your yucca.
The extreme south of Alberta is very DRY though, so I think you should
take care to use a sandy potting mix and partially shelter from rain.
Tom Rubinstein
>speculations on a scientific name?
>
The three varieties that grow here in southern California are the following:
Mojave Yucca ....... yucca schidigera
Our Lords Candle ... y. whipplei
Spanish Bayonet .... y. baccada
Yucca are members of the agave family, agavaceae, or so I'm told.
--Tom
>
>
>--
> Lance Sloan lsl...@nova.gmi.edu
> UNIX System Administrator GMI Engineering and Management Institute
> Assistant Programmer Flint, Michigan, USA
James Bielak
So what I want to know is: Is there any sort of genetic relationship
between yucca and asparagus? When the yucca is sending up a new stalk
for it's flowers, it looks just (EXACTLY!) like a humongous asparagus.
Thus the question arises: are yucca stalks edible? Hmmm, invite the
crowd over for yucca crepes...
jwb
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