Yucca aloifolia
Details Top
| Internal ID | UUID6440242ac52cd722149824 |
| Scientific name | Yucca aloifolia |
| Authority | L. |
| First published in | Sp. Pl. : 319 (1753) |
Ethnobotanical Use Top
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Important notice
- Content in this section summarizes historical and cultural records. It is not medical advice.
- Do not use plants for self-treatment. Safety, efficacy, and appropriate use are not established here.
- Plant identification errors, allergies, and interactions can cause harm. Consult qualified professionals for health questions.
- Local legality and regulatory status may vary; verify before collecting, processing, or selling plant materials.
Yucca aloifolia has been valued for its long, tough leaves and its soap‑rich roots. Among the Yucatec Maya of Mexico, pounded or decocted roots were rubbed into a lather and applied to the hair and skin for cleansing and to soothe itchy or inflamed skin, a use documented by Caballero and Zizumbo‑Villarreal (1995). In the southeastern United States, Cherokee healers prepared a decoction of Yucca root for internal cleansing and also bound bruised leaves to painful joints, a dual practice reported in Moerman’s Native American Ethnobotany (1998). In Hawai‘i, leaves were cut and the juice applied to wounds or painful spots, a topical use noted by Ka‘ai‘akamanu and Akina (1923).
These records consistently involve infusions or decoctions of the roots and the use of the leaf base or whole leaves as a poultice. A single practical method many herbalists adapt for this species is a 1:5 ethanolic tincture of dried root: place 20 g of chopped dried root in a glass jar, cover with 100 mL of 45–50% ethanol (grain or vodka strength), cap tightly, and shake daily for 2–3 weeks in a cool, dark place. Strain and store in a dark bottle; a typical adult dose is 2–4 mL taken with food, up to twice daily. Because saponins irritate the GI tract, do not exceed 5 mL at a time; avoid internal use in pregnancy and during active stomach or intestinal inflammation; people taking anticoagulant or antidiabetic medications should seek professional guidance before use.
The traditional activity of Yucca aloifolia can be plausibly explained by its documented saponins such as sarsasapogenin and its glycosides, together with resveratrol‑type stilbenes and phenolic acids that are well reported for this species. These compounds are mildly anti‑inflammatory and surfactant‑active, supporting the historical skin‑cleansing, poultice, and decoction practices.
Today, laboratory studies continue to profile the phytochemistry of Yucca aloifolia, and the plant remains available in specialty herb markets and ethnobotanical gardens as a demonstration species.
General Uses Top
Suggest a correction!Common products:
- Leaf fibers used for cordage, brooms, thatch, and coarse textiles.
- Cooked fruit (roasted or boiled) eaten as a starchy food.
- Saponin‑rich aqueous extracts employed as natural surfactants in cleaning and personal‑care formulations.
- Whole plants cultivated for ornamental landscaping and sold by nurseries.
Industrial and craft applications:
- Leaves are harvested, retted, and split to obtain bast fibers; the fibers are spun into coarse yarn for rope, twine, woven mats, and traditional basketwork.
- Leaf and root material is dried, milled, and extracted with aqueous alcohol to produce saponin fractions that are incorporated into biodegradable detergents, shampoos, and industrial cleaning agents as biodegradable foaming agents.
Food and beverages (non‑medicinal):
- The mature, fleshy fruit capsule is roasted or boiled and consumed as a carbohydrate source; the seeds may be ground into a flour used in traditional baked goods.
Wood and fiber:
- No timber is harvested; the only commercial fiber product derives from the leaves.
Fragrance and cosmetics:
- Saponin extracts from leaves and roots are used as natural foaming agents and mild surfactants in shampoos, body washes, shaving creams, and other personal‑care products.
Properties relevant to use:
- Leaf fiber consists predominantly of cellulose with lignin, providing high tensile strength and durability suitable for rope and coarse textiles.
- The saponins present are amphiphilic triterpenoids that lower surface tension and generate stable, long‑lasting foam, making them effective as natural surfactants.
- Cooked fruit yields a starchy, low‑fat food base with modest sugar content, making it suitable as a carbohydrate ingredient.
Sustainability and sourcing:
- Yucca aloifolia is cultivated in horticultural nurseries for both ornamental and fiber crops; leaves can be harvested repeatedly without killing the plant, allowing sustainable fiber production.
- Fruit yields are modest, limiting large‑scale food use, whereas leaf fiber harvesting is sustainable due to rapid regrowth after cutting.
- The plant’s tolerance to drought and poor soils reduces the need for intensive agricultural inputs, supporting low‑impact cultivation practices.
Synonyms Top
| Scientific name | Authority | First published in |
|---|---|---|
| Sarcoyucca aloifolia | (L.) Linding. | Beih. Bot. Centralbl. 50(1): 446 (1933) |
| Yucca atkinsii | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 221 (1880) |
| Yucca arcuata | Haw. | Suppl. Pl. Succ. : 33 (1819) |
| Yucca haruckeriana | Crantz | Duab. Drac. Arbor. : 29 (1768) |
| Yucca tenuifolia | Haw. | Suppl. Pl. Succ. : 34 (1819) |
| Yucca tricolor | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 221 (1880) |
| Yucca yucatana | Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 3: 37 (1873) |
| Yucca purpurea | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 221 (1880) |
| Yucca quadricolor | hort. ex Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 221. 1880 [1881 publ. 1880] |
| Yucca serrulata | Haw. | Syn. Pl. Succ. : 70 (1812) |
| Yucca crenulata | Haw. | Suppl. Pl. Succ. : 33 (1819) |
| Yucca draconis | L. | Amoen. Acad. 3: 407. 1756 (1756) |
| Yucca conspicua | Haw. | Suppl. Pl. Succ. : 32 (1819) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. yucatana | (Engelm.) Trel. | Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 13: 93 (1902) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. menandi | Trel. | Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 13: 90 (1902) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. tenuifolia | (Haw.) Trel. | Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 13: 93 (1902) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. draconis | (L.) Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 3: 35 (1873) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. arcuata | (Haw.) Trel. | Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 13: 92 (1902) |
| Yucca aloifolia f. tenuifolia | (Haw.) Voss | Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 , 1: 1055 (1895) |
| Yucca aloifolia f. draconis | (L.) Voss | Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 , 1: 1055 (1895) |
| Yucca aloifolia f. crenulata | (Haw.) Voss | Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 , 1: 1055 (1895) |
| Yucca aloifolia f. arcuata | (Haw.) Voss | Vilm. Blumengärtn. ed. 3 , 1: 1055 (1895) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. conspicua | (Haw.) Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 3: 35 (1873) |
| Dracaena lenneana | Regel | Gartenflora 20: 149 (1871) |
| Yucca aloifolia var. stenophylla | J.Bommer | J. Hort. Prat. Belgique n.s., 3: 19. 1859 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. gigantea | Sprenger | Boll. Reale Soc. Tosc. Ortic. 1906: 225. |
| Yucca aloifolia var. marginata | J.Bommer | J. Hort. Prat. Belgique n.s., 3: 19. 1859 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. purpurea | Baker | J. Linn. Soc., Bot. 18: 221. 1880 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. serratifolia | Sprenger | Boll. Reale Soc. Tosc. Ortic. 1906: 225. |
| Yucca aloifolia var. tricolor | J.Bommer | J. Hort. Prat. Belgique n.s., 3: 19. 1859 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. roseomarginata | Regel | Gartenflora 8: 18. 1859 |
| Yucca aloifolia f. conspicua | (Haw.) Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 3: 35 1873 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. flexifolia | J.Bommer | J. Hort. Prat. Belgique n.s., 3: 19. 1859 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. variegata | Naudin | Pl. Feuill. Col. 2: t. 52 1870 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. versicolor | Carrière | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 50: 104. 1878 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. quadricolor-variegata | Carrière | Rev. Hort. (Paris) 45: 405. 1873 |
| Yucca aloifolia var. aloifolia | L. | |
| Yucca aloifolia f. tenuifolia | (Haw.) Trel. | Rep. (Annual) Missouri Bot. Gard. 13: 93 1902 |
| Yucca aloifolia f. genuina | Engelm. | Trans. Acad. Sci. St. Louis 3: 35. 1873 |
| Yucca parmentieri | Carrière | Rev. Hort. (Paris) , sér. 4, 8: 389 (1859) |
| Yucca striata | auct. | Gard. Chron. 1865: 365 (1865) |
Common names Top
Add a new one! Suggest a correction!| Language | Common/alternative name |
|---|---|
| English | aloe yucca |
| English | roman candle |
| English | adam's needle |
| English | palm lily |
| English | spanish dagger/bayonet |
| English | spanish bayonet |
| Arabic | حربة الإسبان |
| Arabic | يكة ألوية الأوراق |
| Azerbaijani | Əzvayyarpaq yukka |
| ban | bagu |
| German | graue palmlilie |
| Estonian | aaloeleheline tääkliilia |
| Persian | گیاه خنجر |
| Finnish | isojukka |
| Croatian | Španjolska juka |
| ht | bayonnèt |
| Hungarian | tőrlevelű pálmaliliom |
| Armenian | Արմավաշուշան հալեատերև |
| nah | iczotl |
| Polish | jukka aloesowata |
| Chinese | 金棒兰 |
| Chinese | 金棒蘭 |
| Chinese | 千手丝兰 |
| Chinese | 王蘭 |
Germination/Propagation Top
Suggest a correction or add new data!
No germination or propagation data was added yet.
Distribution (via POWO/KEW) Top
Legend for the distribution data:
- Doubtful data
- Extinct
- Introduced
- Native
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Africa click to expand
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Northern Africa
- Tunisia
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Southern Africa
- Free State
- Kwazulu-Natal
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Western Indian Ocean
- Mauritius
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Northern Africa
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Asia-tropical click to expand
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Indian Subcontinent
- Bangladesh
- Pakistan
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Indian Subcontinent
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Australasia click to expand
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Australia
- New South Wales
- Norfolk Island
- Queensland
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Australia
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Europe click to expand
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Southeastern Europe
- Italy
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Southwestern Europe
- Portugal
- Spain
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Southeastern Europe
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Northern America click to expand
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Mexico
- Mexico Central
- Mexico Gulf
- Mexico Southeast
- Mexico Southwest
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South-central U.S.A.
- Texas
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Southeastern U.S.A.
- Alabama
- Florida
- Georgia
- Louisiana
- Mississippi
- North Carolina
- South Carolina
- Virginia
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Mexico
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Pacific click to expand
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Southwestern Pacific
- New Caledonia
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Southwestern Pacific
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Southern America click to expand
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Caribbean
- Bahamas
- Bermuda
- Cayman Islands
- Cuba
- Dominican Republic
- Haiti
- Jamaica
- Leeward Islands
- Puerto Rico
- Southwest Caribbean
- Trinidad-Tobago
- Windward Islands
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Southern South America
- Argentina Northeast
- Argentina Northwest
- Uruguay
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Western South America
- Bolivia
- Galápagos
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Caribbean
Links to other databases Top
Suggest others/fix!| Database | ID/link to page |
|---|---|
| World Flora Online | wfo-0000752064 |
| UNII | 0IBU2ZCM3P |
| Florida Plant Atlas | 1735 |
| Flora of Alabama | 3778 |
| USDA Plants | YUAL |
| Tropicos | 18401411 |
| INPN | 446100 |
| Flora of Italy | 6977 |
| KEW | urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:325009-2 |
| The Plant List | kew-291591 |
| Missouri Botanical Garden | 282010 |
| PFAF | Yucca aloifolia |
| Open Tree Of Life | 978478 |
| Observations.org | 123598 |
| NCBI Taxonomy | 203639 |
| Nature Serve | 2.144138 |
| IUCN Red List | 117422548 |
| IPNI | 325009-2 |
| iNaturalist | 133334 |
| GBIF | 2775744 |
| Freebase | /m/0zwkl8z |
| EPPO | UCCAL |
| EOL | 1083574 |
| USDA GRIN | 42142 |
| Wikipedia | Yucca_aloifolia |
Genomes (via NCBI) Top
No reference genome is available on NCBI yet. We are constantly monitoring for new data.
Scientific Literature Top
Below are displayed the latest 15 articles published in PMC (PubMed Central®) and other sources (DOI number only)!
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
If you wish to see all the related articles click here.
| Title | Authors | Publication | Released | IDs | ||||||
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| The Genomic Shock Hypothesis: Genetic and Epigenetic Alterations of Transposable Elements after Interspecific Hybridization in Plants | de Tomás C, Vicient CM | Epigenomes | 27-Dec-2023 |
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| Bringing CAM photosynthesis to the table: Paving the way for resilient and productive agricultural systems in a changing climate | Perron N, Kirst M, Chen S | Plant Commun | 21-Nov-2023 |
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| The CAM lineages of planet Earth | Gilman IS, Smith JA, Holtum JA, Sage RF, Silvera K, Winter K, Edwards EJ | Ann Bot | 12-Sep-2023 |
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| The Agavoideae: an emergent model clade for CAM evolutionary biology | Heyduk K, McAssey EV, Field R, Leebens-Mack J | Ann Bot | 16-May-2023 |
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| More than a Bit of Fun: The Multiple Outcomes of a Bioblitz | Meeus S, Silva-Rocha I, Adriaens T, Brown PM, Chartosia N, Claramunt-López B, Martinou AF, Pocock MJ, Preda C, Roy HE, Tricarico E, Groom QJ | Bioscience | 01-Mar-2023 |
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| HR LC-MS/MS metabolomic profiling of Yucca aloifolia fruit and the potential neuroprotective effect on rotenone-induced Parkinson’s disease in rats | Ali DE, Bassam SM, Elatrebi S, Habiba ES, Allam EA, Omar EM, Ghareeb DA, Abdulmalek SA, Abdel-Sattar E | PLoS One | 28-Feb-2023 |
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| Antioxidant and Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Phytochemicals Found in the Yucca Genus | Culhuac EB, Maggiolino A, Elghandour MM, De Palo P, Salem AZ | Antioxidants (Basel) | 24-Feb-2023 |
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| Antibacterial and Antioxidant Properties of Extracts of Yucca Baccata, a Plant of Northwestern Mexico, against Pathogenic Bacteria | Morales-Figueroa GG, Pereo-Vega GD, Reyna-Murrieta ME, Pérez-Morales R, López-Mata MA, Sánchez-Escalante JJ, Tapia-Rodriguez MR, Ayala-Zavala JF, Juárez J, Quihui-Cota L | Biomed Res Int | 26-Oct-2022 |
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| Bio-Based Composites for Light Automotive Parts: Statistical Analysis of Mechanical Properties; Effect of Matrix and Alkali Treatment in Sisal Fibers | Fernandes RA, da Silveira PH, Bastos BC, Pereira PS, de Melo VA, Monteiro SN, Tapanes ND, Bastos DC | Polymers (Basel) | 29-Aug-2022 |
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| Evolution of Crassulacean acid metabolism in response to the environment: past, present, and future | Heyduk K | Plant Physiol | 24-Jun-2022 |
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| Differential timing of gene expression and recruitment in independent origins of CAM in the Agavoideae (Asparagaceae) | Heyduk K, McAssey EV, Leebens‐Mack J | New Phytol | 14-Jun-2022 |
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| Structure, Bioactivity and Analytical Methods for the Determination of Yucca Saponins | Jiménez GG, Durán AG, Macías FA, Simonet AM | Molecules | 30-Aug-2021 |
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| Fusarium: more than a node or a foot-shaped basal cell | Crous PW, Lombard L, Sandoval-Denis M, Seifert KA, Schroers HJ, Chaverri P, Gené J, Guarro J, Hirooka Y, Bensch K, Kema GH, Lamprecht SC, Cai L, Rossman AY, Stadler M, Summerbell RC, Taylor JW, Ploch S, Visagie CM, Yilmaz N, Frisvad JC, Abdel-Azeem AM, Abdollahzadeh J, Abdolrasouli A, Akulov A, Alberts JF, Araújo JP, Ariyawansa HA, Bakhshi M, Bendiksby M, Ben Hadj Amor A, Bezerra JD, Boekhout T, Câmara MP, Carbia M, Cardinali G, Castañeda-Ruiz RF, Celis A, Chaturvedi V, Collemare J, Croll D, Damm U, Decock CA, de Vries RP, Ezekiel CN, Fan XL, Fernández NB, Gaya E, González CD, Gramaje D, Groenewald JZ, Grube M, Guevara-Suarez M, Gupta VK, Guarnaccia V, Haddaji A, Hagen F, Haelewaters D, Hansen K, Hashimoto A, Hernández-Restrepo M, Houbraken J, Hubka V, Hyde KD, Iturriaga T, Jeewon R, Johnston PR, Jurjević Ž, Karalti İ, Korsten L, Kuramae EE, Kušan I, Labuda R, Lawrence DP, Lee HB, Lechat C, Li HY, Litovka YA, Maharachchikumbura SS, Marin-Felix Y, Matio Kemkuignou B, Matočec N, McTaggart AR, Mlčoch P, Mugnai L, Nakashima C, Nilsson RH, Noumeur SR, Pavlov IN, Peralta MP, Phillips AJ, Pitt JI, Polizzi G, Quaedvlieg W, Rajeshkumar KC, Restrepo S, Rhaiem A, Robert J, Robert V, Rodrigues AM, Salgado-Salazar C, Samson RA, Santos AC, Shivas RG, Souza-Motta CM, Sun GY, Swart WJ, Szoke S, Tan YP, Taylor JE, Taylor PW, Tiago PV, Váczy KZ, van de Wiele N, van der Merwe NA, Verkley GJ, Vieira WA, Vizzini A, Weir BS, Wijayawardene NN, Xia JW, Yáñez-Morales MJ, Yurkov A, Zamora JC, Zare R, Zhang CL, Thines M | Stud Mycol | 17-Aug-2021 |
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| Natural and Historical Heritage of the Lisbon Botanical Gardens: An Integrative Approach with Tree Collections | Cunha AR, Soares AL, Brilhante M, Arsénio P, Vasconcelos T, Espírito-Santo D, Duarte MC, Romeiras MM | Plants (Basel) | 04-Jul-2021 |
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| Hybridization History and Repetitive Element Content in the Genome of a Homoploid Hybrid, Yucca gloriosa (Asparagaceae) | Heyduk K, McAssey EV, Grimwood J, Shu S, Schmutz J, McKain MR, Leebens-Mack J | Front Plant Sci | 15-Jan-2021 |
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Phytochemical Profile Top
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Collections Top
| In private collections | 0 |
| In public collections | 0 |