Author: Rocky Point Times

The Yucca plant is a perennial evergreen, with sword-shaped leaves, coming up from a rosette configuration. The tips of the leaves are pointed, hard and sharp. Yucca belongs to the Asparagaceae family; there are 40 to 50 species. The Yucca can be either a shrub or tree, such as the Joshua Tree. The flowers are light green to white; they grow atop a long stalk. The Yucca is found throughout the Americas and the Caribbean, especially in hot, arid and dry climates. It is known as the soap plant and the Spanish needle. The pointed tips of the leaves can be made into a needle and used for sewing. There has been some confusion between the Yucca and an unrelated plant called Yuca, aka. Cassava. The Cassava root is the source of tapioca.