Description

The banana yucca is the hardiest of California’s handful of yucca species. This is perhaps reflected in its extensive range, which extends from Colorado and Louisiana to northern Mexico. It grows as a cluster of stiff blue-green leaves tipped with a formidably sharp point. The sword-like quality of the leaves no doubt contributed to an alternate common name: Spanish Bayonet. Banana yucca readily produces basal offsets as the main plant slowly grows to about six feet. As the plant grows, the old leaves fall off leaving a bare stalk topped with a tuft of leaves. A patch of multiple plants will develop over time. Like all California’s yuccas, growth will not exceed a few inches a year. After several years of growth a flower stem will appear with multiple branches covered with pendent creamy white flowers. These develop into the soft fruit for which the plant is named. The fruit was an important food source for indigenous peoples. Plant banana yucca in a sunny spot with well-draining soil, keeping in mind those formidable spikes!