Plantae > Tracheophyta > Liliopsida > Asparagales > Asparagaceae > Yucca > Yucca elataYucca elata (Soap Tree)Synonyms: Yucca angustifolia var. elata (homotypic) Yucca elata is a perennial plant, with common names that include soaptree, soaptree yucca, soapweed, and palmella. It is native to southwestern North America, in the Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert in the United States (western Texas, New Mexico, Arizona), southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, and northern Mexico (Chihuahua, Coahuila, Sonora, Nuevo León). |
| Allergen Potential [1] | Low | | Screening - Summer [2] | Porous | | Screening - Winter [2] | Porous |  | | Bloom Period [2] | Late Spring | | Drought Tolerance [2] | High | | Edible [3] | May be edible. See the Plants For A Future link below for details. | | Fire Tolerance [2] | None | | Flower Type [3] | Hermaphrodite | | Frost Free Days [2] | 5 months | | Fruit/Seed Abundance [2] | High | | Fruit/Seed Begin [2] | Summer | | Fruit/Seed End [2] | Summer | | Growth Form [2] | Stoloniferous | | Growth Period [2] | Spring, Summer | | Growth Rate [2] | Moderate | | Hazards [3] | The roots contain saponins; 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; 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; | | Leaf Type [3] | Evergreen | | Lifespan [2] | Perennial | | Pollinators [3] | Hand | | Propagation [2] | Bare Root, Container, Seed | | Root Depth [2] | 6 inches (15 cm) | | Seed Spread Rate [2] | Moderate | | Seed Vigor [2] | High | | Seeds Per [2] | 15000 / lb (33069 / kg) | | Shape/Orientation [2] | Erect | | Structure [3] | Shrub | | Usage [3] | The leaves, or a fibre obtained from them, is used for making ropes and mats;
The leaves can be woven into shallow or tray baskets; The leaf has also been used as a binding element in coarse coiled basketry;
The roots have a red core and have been used to ornament baskets;
The roots are rich in saponins and can be used as a soap substitute for washing the hair, body, clothes etc; Also used as a foaming agent in beer; A slick soap-like fluid in the trunk has been used as a substitute for soap;
Wood - light, soft and spongy; | | Vegetative Spread Rate [2] | Slow | | | Flower Color [2] | White | | Foliage Color [2] | Green | | Fruit Color [2] | Black | | | Fall Conspicuous [2] | Yes | | Flower Conspicuous [2] | Yes | | Fruit Conspicuous [2] | Yes | | | Height [3] | 6.56 feet (2 m) | | Width [3] | 20 inches (0.5 m) | | | Hardiness Zone Minimum [2] | USDA Zone: 5 Low Temperature: -20 F° (-28.9 C°) → -10 F° (-23.3 C°) | | Light Preference [2] | Full Sun | | Soil Acidity [2] | Neutral | | Soil Fertility [2] | Infertile | | Water Use [2] | Low |
View Plants For A Future Record : Yucca elata |
Species taxanomy provided by GBIF Secretariat (2022). GBIF Backbone Taxonomy. Checklist dataset https://doi.org/10.15468/39omei accessed via GBIF.org on 2023-06-13; License: CC BY 4.0
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