Closely related to lilies there are three major parts which are edible: Flowers, stalks or basal rosettes, and the sap. This is no ordinary plant. Yuccas are usually large plants that have either a distinct, woody trunk above ground or thick, branching, mostly underground main stems. Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. It’s possible that all species of yucca are edible, but I hesitate to make a sweeping generalization when I haven’t tried them all. Some are stemless, while others reach tree size. Many species also bear edible parts, including fruits, seeds, flowers, flowering stems, and more rarely roots. 77. The leaves are numerous from the base, commonly long, narrow and spine-tipped. So much for “dry”. But last week, when I collected my first flowers of the season, I was happy to see that many of them had already been pollinated. Yi-haw! Occasionally I find a Y. filamentosa blossom I  can eat raw but only one. Two friends report that eating raw flowers caused them to have an itchy throat, but neither my husband nor I experience that. Caution: Make sure you know which bamboo type you are eating. You can use its petals in salads or as a garnish. This causes some confusion because people say oh they eat yucca all the time. They’re beautiful and tasty… if you like licorice flavour, that is). Its 40–50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers.. According to plants.jstor.org the leaves are used in Africa in sauces, and as a condiment, spice, and flavoring. I have to say that the blossoms are onion-like in texture but don’t taste like an onion. I was totally stunned by how good it turned out! The root of the non-flowering plant is used to make medicine. Yuccas grow over much of North America; hardiness depends on species. So, what parts of the yucca are edible? It also gets fruit. The young fruits raw or cooked, but they are very bitter raw, read another throat/stomach ache. There are so many species, and just about all of them are edible! Some are edible most are not. METHOD OF PREPARATION: Six-sided fruits edible raw or cooked, rubbery and bitter, cooking helps some, flower petals raw in salads, sparingly, or fried, may be batter dipped, boiled or roasted. You can cut the stalk easily when it’s green… but you need a saw if it drys. Dress them up with a little cheese, if you like, maybe a smidge of fennel or bee balm, but don’t smother their delicate flavor with too many spices. I've not met a yucca blossom I could eat raw. Yeah, that’s it! I speak from experience when I say that the flowers of Y. filamentosa and Y. glauca are also edible and tasty. There may or may not be a tiny bit of bitterness, depending on how sensitive you are to bitter flavors. Only just caught the date on the one to which I’m replying. All have tough, sword- shaped leaves and large clusters of white or whitish, rounded to bell-shaped flowers. Flavor: The taste varies by variety from savory to sweet, and they’re a good way to add a crunchy texture to a dish. Fruit edible The Genus Yucca includes about 4 dozen species of perennials, shrubs, and trees in the Agave family, Agavaceae. Most species of yucca are edible, but that's for the flowers, young flowering shoot, and fruit. Your email address will not be published. I don’t know if it was the extra storage time or the cooking method, but either way, it turned out really nice. Yucca flowers and fruits are edible fresh or dried. Its leaves are used in fires started through fiction due to their low ignition temperature. Many yucca come with a needle built in at the end of the leaf, and others like the filamentosa above, shed threads. I’m gathering soap tree yucca stalks, which can get over 10′ long. Cook for about 5 minutes and keep stirring. Great under tension and some abrasion. http://www.indianweaving.com/wool.html. Scrape out the inside and separate from the seeds. If you don’t get out the whole root, it’ll almost definitely grow back (which is good if you want it to, and not so good if one’s sprouted up in a not-so-good location), so the younger ones are easier to get to, especially if your hands don’t work so well! Species Yucca filamentosa L. – Adam's needle P: Species The species … Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. It is hardy to zone (UK) 4. Separate the petals from the pistils and stamens. Remember, bitter doesn’t mean bad. Use a guide to determine which types grow near you. It would also serve as a deterrent to leaning over fences. There are several species of … Yucca belongs to the family of plants known as Asparagaceae. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Keep The fruit is knocked off the plant with long sticks; it will not fall easily until it is ripe enough to eat. And fried yucca flowers are especially good. Can’t swear to it, Andy, but that sounds like Yuca (with one “c”), not Yucca (“cc”). When the root is pulverized and added to water it creates a foam. The yucca (YUK-ka) in the wild has several edible parts ABOVE ground. Yucca [Yucca spp. Yucca root is eaten like potato but contains far more starch. Some blog posts here include links to products on Amazon. All parts of the plant are useful, and many parts are edible. And ate when first shooting up artichoke, but the giant yucca also is for. Depending on how sensitive you are eating had to be very picky about what eat! The larva of the plant with long sticks ; it will not fall easily until it is unclear me. Its leaves are used to make a type of chicha aka beer of bitterness, depending on how baccata... 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