Flora of the Southeastern United States

Yucca Linnaeus. Common name: Yucca, Adam's-needle, Rock-lily.

Key to Yucca

A genus of about 40 species, of sw. North America, n. Mexico, se. United States, and the West Indies. Many issues remain in our understanding of Southeastern United States Yucca. They have a unique mutualistic pollination system involving yucca moths (Tegeticula = Pronuba), which transfer pollen while laying eggs in the flowers, ensuring the continuation of both species. This intricate relationship highlights the specialized evolutionary paths and ecological roles that Yucca species and yucca moths have developed over time. Yuccas were used by Indigenous Americans as a source of food, fiber, soap, and medicine. The spiny leaf tip was apparently used as a needle, often with the still-attached fibers serving as thread; 2,000-year-old fiber and twine from yuccas have been found in ruins in AZ (Diggs et al. 2006).

ID notes: Recognized by rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white, creamy, or pale greenish flowers, occasionally with tinge of rose. To accurately identify species from photographs, it is important to capture the whole plant and closeups of leaves, panicle branches, and details of the floral parts.

References: Clary (1997); Clary & Adams (2021); Hess & Robbins (2002) In Flora of North America Editorial Committee (2002a); Keith (2003); McKelvey (1947; Trelease (1902); Verhoek (1998) In Kubitzki (1998a); Ward (2004c); Ward (2006a); Ward (2011d). Show full citations.

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