A conspicuous plant in many parts of New Mexico, banana yuccas have thick, fleshy leaves and a generally short, but stout appearance. The leaves, which have spines at the tip, arise from the central stem at ground level. In the spring when banana yucca blooms, it is an especially beautiful plant with its large showy white blooms.

One of the most fascinating aspects of yuccas is the mutualism that exists between the yucca and the yucca moths (Tegeticula, Incurvariidae). See the ecology section below for more details.

There is a wonderful description of Native American use of yuccas, written by a Navajo Indian from the Diné Nation, at Medicinal Plants of the Southwest. Yucca roots are sold in produce sections of supermarkets today, but Native Americans and others have eaten the roots for a long time. We've had a delightful dessert in Mexico that consists of ground yucca root soaked in sugar, made into patties, and fried. Yummm!

Foxx and Hoard (1984) also mention "The fibrous leaves were used to make baskets, mats, cloth, rope, and sandals. Flowers and fruits were eaten. The root, when pounded and soaked in water provided a shampoo called amole which could be used for cleaning hair, feathers, or cloth. The suds were used to represent clouds in religious ceremonies."

You can find a discussion of medicinal uses of yuccas in Moore (1989).