Page 175 - The Forager’s Guide to Wild Foods

Yucca (Banana/Blue), Yucca

baccata (ASPARAGACEAE)

BANANA or BLUE YUCCA is a perennial shrub, na- EDIBLE PARTS: fruits, flowers, flowering stems, seeds
tive to the dry plains and slopes of the southwestern
KEY MEDICINAL USES: This plant is an antiemetic
United States and northern Mexico. It forms colonies
and laxative. An infusion of the leaves helps prevent
of rosettes up to 30 inches (76cm) high and twice as
vomiting. The raw fruit relieves constipation.
wide. There are up to 50 species of yucca and most
have edible flowers and fruits. These include Aloe HOW TO HARVEST AND EAT: The succulent fruits
can be consumed raw, dried, or cooked. When baked,
Yucca (Y. aloifolia), Joshua Tree (Y. brevifolia), and
their taste is similar to sweet potato. Young stems with
Beargrass (Y. filamentosa).
unopened flowers can be roasted and eaten. Mature
FLOWER AND FRUIT: Between April and July, droop-
flowers are very sweet and can be cooked as a vegeta-
ing, fleshy white flowers develop in a large terminal
ble, or made into fritters. Harvest flowers before the
panicle, which emerges from the center of the rosette.
summer rains to avoid them turning bitter. Seeds can
The panicle is 12-36 inches (30-91cm) long. Each
be roasted and ground into flour.
flower is 6-petaled, bell-shaped, 2-5 inches (5-13cm)
across, and often tinged with purple. The fleshy yel- ROASTED BANANA YUCCA: Ingredients: Banana yuc-
low-green fruits, which hang in profuse clumps, look ca fruits (ripe, firm), butter, seasoning. Roast whole
like squat bananas. Individual fruits are about 7 inch- fruits for 20-30 min. on medium heat until tender.
es (18cm) long and 2.5 inches (6cm) wide. They con- Scrape out the seeds. Season the pulp with butter, salt,
tain black seeds. pepper, and chipotle.

LEAF: The rigid blue-green leaves are narrow and WARNING: Eating large quantities of fruits may
dagger-like, measuring 20-40 inches (50-100cm) cause diarrhea. Do not confuse with the root vegeta-
long and 1.25-1.5 inches (3-4cm) wide. Each blade tip ble “yuca”, also known as cassava. Banana yucca roots
ends in a stiff spine. Together, the foliage forms a ro- contain toxic saponins (good for soap).
sette pattern.
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