The Spineless Yucca—A Uniquely Adaptable Plant
BY AWAKE! CORRESPONDENT IN COSTA RICA
HERBACEOUS, soapy, delicious, and nutritious. This exotic plant is all of these and much more! It is well-known by Central Americans but not as spineless yucca. If you were to use that term in Central America, most people would likely respond with a polite and inquisitive stare. However, a broad smile of recognition would appear immediately if you mentioned itabo, izote, or daguillo, as the plant is commonly known in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua. Costa Ricans and other Central Americans savor its flowers in a variety of dishes.
Member of a Distinguished Family
In what seems to be a tug-of-war, the spineless yucca has been classified by taxonomists as a member of the Liliaceae family and more recently as a member of the Agavaceae family. The latter category of rugged plants comprises some 550 species from the Liliales (lily) order. Botanists have identified its scientific name as Yucca elephantipes.
There are an estimated 40 species of the Yucca genus, which for the most part may be found in North America, Mexico, and Central and South America. Well-known relatives include the giant Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) and the smaller Spanish bayonet (Yucca aloifolia). Quite a large family indeed!
What are some distinguishing features of this versatile plant? Rustic yet exotic in appearance, its rigid, elongated leaves thrust some three feet [1 m] outward from the trunk. The stocky, woody trunk, with its fibrous texture and grayish-brown color, resembles an elephant’s foreleg—thus, the scientific name elephantipes.
At first glance, the spineless yucca, reaching heights of from 15 to 25 feet, can easily be mistaken for a tree. During Costa Rica’s dry season, particularly the months of February and March, hundreds of bell-shaped, creamy-ivory flowers crown the itabo plant. Sold in marketplaces and by street vendors, they seem to be just about everywhere at the same time! In stark contrast to the plant’s stiff, bayonetlike leaves, these soft and delicate flowers blossom in panicles, boldly stationing themselves right in the center of the plant, erect and at attention.
The itabo is one of the favorite species of yucca among gardeners and landscapers alike, for it adapts to various climatic and soil conditions and provides an exotic, tropical appearance. Once used as natural fencing for land demarcation in Costa Rica, it is no wonder that the prolific itabo plant abounds in practically every region of the country.
The local people have certainly taken advantage of this plant’s versatility. For instance, the fibers extracted from the leaves are used to make mats, belts, and knapsacks. Also, if the leaves are heated to a pliable consistency, gardeners can use them as handy ties for produce. It seems that there is no end to what this plant can do!
Deliciously Edible!
Frances Perry, author of Flowers of the World, writes: “The flower buds of Yucca species are eaten by the Indians, and the fruits and the roots have saponifying [soapy] properties so may be used for washing clothes.” Central Americans have made good use of the yucca’s culinary and cleansing attributes. They delight in its somewhat sour yet tangy taste. The flowers are prepared in cold salads or cooked with eggs and potatoes, a favorite among Costa Ricans and other Central Americans. Yuccas have nutritional value because they are rich in vitamins and minerals, such as calcium, iron, thiamine, phosphorus, and riboflavin.
Noteworthy too are the yucca’s medicinal properties; a tonic made by boiling and steeping the flowers is soothing to the stomach. The leaves can be used to treat albuminuria and colitis and can also be used as a diuretic. And this herbaceous, soapy, delicious, and nutritious plant is only one of earth’s creations that our taste buds can enjoy!
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Yucca flowers cooked with eggs and potatoes, a favorite dish in Central America
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Yuccas growing in the countryside resemble trees