PLANT OF THE MONTH
Banana Yucca (Yucca Baccata)
Appreciate your high-tech waterproof-breathable boots when you hike past one of New Mexico’s native banana yuccas. The ancients wove its sword-like leaves into rough sandals—and the uses didn’t stop there. Roasted, the fleshy fruit resembles a sweet potato. In the spring, peek inside the white flowers to spy the specialized moth it relies on for pollination. Today, banana yuccas are popular in landscapes statewide. We celebrate all 12 yucca species native to New Mexico as our official state flower.
Provided by George Miller, president of the Albuquerque chapter of the Native Plant Society of New Mexico; npsnm.org