Is yucca Edible????!?!?!

[narcolepticpug]

is all types of yucca edible i believe this is the one im most intrested in
http://cactiguide.com/graphics/x_noncacti_yucca_600.jpg
does this yucca have edible roots? or is it only certain strains?
is the whole plant edible?
the reason i ask is that they are all over the area i hike in.... you cant avoid them.. it will be 3 feet deep in snow and when you go to sit down you get stabed by them. they are everywere.

[chopp29]

I cant say I know about all types of Yucca, but In Louisiana, we do have one species of Yucca and it is definatly not edible.

[Sourdough]

My mother always said put that down, thats yucckie. Don't know if that helps.

[crashdive123]

Try this http://www.californiagardens.com/Pla...a_whipplei.htm

[crashdive123]

Or perhaps http://library.thinkquest.org/12641/...ker/yucca.html

Any plant that can be used to make paint, soap or poison probably has some parts that you may not want to eat. Hopeaks mom was probably right. (most moms are)

[Rick]

This is an area I won't venture a guess on. Wrong advice could make you very sick or worse. You need a positive ID on any plant before making an assessment of whether or not it is edible and/or what parts are edible. Since you don't have edible plant books yet, contact your local county extension service and ask to speak with the Extension Agent or a Master Gardener. Or talk to someone that has a lot of experience in your location on edible plants. The Los Angeles Botanical Garden might also be able to answer your questions and you can see living examples.

[narcolepticpug]

cuz i was reading that yucca roots are edible, but i didnt know if its only certain species


crashdive123 thanks for the links to

[tim]

a indin ate one and thow it up and said yucca

[canid]

yuccas contain saponins, concentrated largely in the roots but probably present through all parts of the plant in most species and are toxic. specific parts of certain species contain none, or insignificant enough amounts to be safe to eat according to most sources, and many species have been, and still are used medicinaly but most references to yucca roots being baked and eaten seem to be confusion with yuca, the cassava tuber, from south america. it is a staple food in many places and is grown as a primary agricultural crop.

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[Kemperor]

Their is a relative of yucca called agave. They make somewhat of a decent drink out of it called Tequila.
Here's a decent article on yuccas and agaves. It's mostly on their uses for cordage, but there's some edibility info in it as well.
http://www.primitiveways.com/yuccas_and_agaves.html

I'd still suggest further research into this area. Check wikipedia on yuccas and they have a decent list of the various species, most with pictures.

[Gray Wolf]

This is a good database with over 7000 entries for Edible Plants, Alternative Fruits, Roots, Leaves and flowers, and Medicinal Plants.

"Plants For A Future is a resource center for rare and unusual plants, particularly those which have edible, medicinal or other uses. We practice vegan-organic permaculture with emphasis on creating an ecologically sustainable environment based largely on perennial plants."

http://www.pfaf.org/

Chris, this link would be a good sticky, JMHO

[narcolepticpug]

cool thank you

[bulrush]

All I can tell you is:
- I had fried yucca root at Disneyworld at one of their walk-up vendors.

- One or 2 of my edible plant books says the root is edible.

- But you are correct, one species may be edible, and another may not be.

EDIT:
You know I think I saw raw yucca root at Meijer one year. We have a lot of hispanics here in West Michigan and so stores often carry food they are used to seeing.

[GVan]

I can't say about all parts, but I did see yucca root for sale at the Eglin A.F.B., commissary in the vegetable section.

[AZHomesteaderGal]

Yucca
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
This article is about the genus comprising species of perennials, shrubs, and trees. For other uses, see Yucca (disambiguation).
Yucca


Yucca filamentosa in New Zealand
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Plantae

Division: Magnoliophyta

Class: Liliopsida

Order: Asparagales

Family: Agavaceae

Genus: Yucca
L.

Species
many, see text

The yuccas comprise the genus Yucca of 40-50 species of perennials, shrubs, and trees in the agave family Agavaceae, notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal clusters of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North America, Central America, and the West Indies.

Yuccas have a very specialized pollination system, being pollinated by the yucca moth; the insect purposefully transfers the pollen from the stamens of one plant to the stigma of another, and at the same time lays an egg in the flower; the moth larva then eats some of the developing seeds, but far from all.

Yuccas are widely grown as ornamental plants in gardens. Many yuccas also bear edible parts, including fruits, seeds, flowers, flowering stems, and more rarely roots, but use of these is sufficiently limited that references to yucca as food more often than not stem from confusion with the similarly spelled but botanically unrelated yuca.

Dried yucca wood has the lowest ignition temperature of any other wood, making it one of the more desirable woods for fire-starting.

The "yucca flower" is the state flower of New Mexico. No species name is given in the citation.

Even a Joshua tree is considered an Yucca (ucca).

[Rick]

Thanks AZ. Could you step on over to the Introductions section and tell us a little about yourself?

[Rick]

Narco - I found a reference that says Yucca flowers (Yucca filamentosa) are edible. Unfortunately, the don't appear to grow in the West or Southwest. Below is a link to a map. But here's a recipe for them for everyone else.

About 24 Yucca flowers
2 cups peas, freshly shelled or thawed if frozen
2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 Clove of garlic
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Wash the yucca flowers an remove the stamens. Pat them dry.

Steam the peas until just barely done, pour the water off, and keep covered.

Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Cut the garlic clove into slivers. Saute' them in the butter for about 2 minutes. Do not allow the garlic or butter to brown. The butter should just barely begin to turn golden. Remove the garlic from the butter and discard. (yeah, right. That would go on toast for me!)

Add the yucca flowers to the skillet, stirring well so that they all are coated by the butter. Cook them until they just begin to wilt, about 2 minutes or so. Add the peas to the skillet, season with salt and pepper and toss well.

Cover for about 1 minute, taste for seasoning and serve immediately.

This book says the yucca plant blooms in August with creamy white flowers with a purplish tinge. It tastes vegetably (what the heck does that mean?), slightly bitter with a hint of artichoke.

http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=YUFI

Click on your state and it will show the counties it grows in.

[grundle]

I have several of these in my yard and I have eaten the flowers. As for a renewable edible source I would suggest harvesting the flowers, they are great additions to salads. The rest you should leave alone (including roots). The Yuca (pronounced juca) root is closer to a potato in consistency than the agave roots you would get from a yucca plant.

[Buddha443556]

There's a lot of different Yuccas, I think all the roots are toxic, at least raw - cooking destroys the toxin. The roots are also toxic to fish, you can use large amounts of root to kill fish - don't eat the fish raw.

[grazer]

All the yuccas that look like yuccas have edible fruits and flowers. They vary as far as which is best in the flower or fruit stage. The flower stalks can be cut into sections and boiled or roasted, then peeled, and are pretty good with butter and seasonings. The seeds can be roasted and ground and boiled, but I have not tried that. Note that there are yucca species that do not look like yuccas, and most are rare and should not be disturbed or messed with, like Joshua trees and saguaros.