Yucca guatemalensis
Encyclopedia
Yucca guatemalensis , is the tallest of the Yucca
species. Common names for this species include spineless yucca, soft-tip yucca, blue-stem yucca, giant yucca and itabo. It is native to Belize
, Costa Rica
, El Salvador
, Guatemala
, Honduras
and Mexico
. Its flower, the Izote, is the national flower of El Salvador
.
White flowers are produced in the summer, followed by brown, fleshy fruits which are oval and up to 2.5 cm in length.
Yucca guatemalensis may be subject to a number of pests including scale
, Yucca moth borers, and black weevils. Plants are subject to root rot
if overwatered. Leaf spot
may affect the appearance of the leaves, but it does not affect the health of the plant. Propagation is by suckers
, cuttings or seed
.
s have been released including:
Yucca
Yucca is a genus of perennial shrubs and trees in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae. Its 40-50 species are notable for their rosettes of evergreen, tough, sword-shaped leaves and large terminal panicles of white or whitish flowers. They are native to the hot and dry parts of North...
species. Common names for this species include spineless yucca, soft-tip yucca, blue-stem yucca, giant yucca and itabo. It is native to Belize
Belize
Belize is a constitutional monarchy and the northernmost country in Central America. Belize has a diverse society, comprising many cultures and languages. Even though Kriol and Spanish are spoken among the population, Belize is the only country in Central America where English is the official...
, Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
, Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
, Honduras
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
. Its flower, the Izote, is the national flower of El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
Description
Although it can grow up to 9 metres in height, with a spread to 4.5 metres, it is usually less than 6 metres in height. It may have a thick, single trunk or be mulitrunked resulting from growth from the base. The leaves are strap-like, spineless and up to 1.2 metres in length.White flowers are produced in the summer, followed by brown, fleshy fruits which are oval and up to 2.5 cm in length.
Cultivation
The species can be grown in a variety of soils and is drought-tolerant. Young plants are used as potted specimens, and may be used as an house plant.Yucca guatemalensis may be subject to a number of pests including scale
Scale insect
The scale insects are small insects of the order Hemiptera, generally classified as the superfamily Coccoidea. There are about 8,000 species of scale insects.-Ecology:...
, Yucca moth borers, and black weevils. Plants are subject to root rot
Root rot
Root rot is a condition found in both indoor and outdoor plants, although more common in indoor plants with poor drainage. As the name states, the roots of the plant rot. Usually, this is a result of overwatering. In houseplants, it is a very common problem, and is slightly less common in outdoor...
if overwatered. Leaf spot
Leaf spot
Leaf spots are round blemishes found on the leaves of many species of plants, mostly caused by parasitic fungi or bacteria.A typical spot is "zonal", meaning it has a definite edge and often has a darker border. When lots of spots are present, they can grow together and become a blight or a blotch...
may affect the appearance of the leaves, but it does not affect the health of the plant. Propagation is by suckers
Basal shoot
A basal shoot, root sprout, adventitious shoot, water sprout or sucker is a shoot or cane which grows from a bud at the base of a tree or shrub or from its roots. This shoot then becomes, or takes the form of, a singular plant. A plant that produces suckers is referred to as surculose...
, cuttings or seed
Seed
A seed is a small embryonic plant enclosed in a covering called the seed coat, usually with some stored food. It is the product of the ripened ovule of gymnosperm and angiosperm plants which occurs after fertilization and some growth within the mother plant...
.
Cultivars
A number of cultivarCultivar
A cultivar'Cultivar has two meanings as explained under Formal definition. When used in reference to a taxon, the word does not apply to an individual plant but to all those plants sharing the unique characteristics that define the cultivar. is a plant or group of plants selected for desirable...
s have been released including:
- 'Artola Gold'
- 'Jewel'
- 'Puck'
- 'Silver Star', a variegatedVariegationVariegation is the appearance of differently coloured zones in the leaves, and sometimes the stems, of plants. This may be due to a number of causes...
form
Synonyms
- Yucca elephantipes BakerJohn Gilbert BakerJohn Gilbert Baker was an English botanist.Baker was born in Guisborough, the son of John and Mary Baker and educated at Quaker schools in Ackworth and York....
in RegelEduard August von RegelEduard August von Regel was a German horticulturalist and botanist. He ended his career serving as the Director of the Russian Imperial Botanical Garden of St. Petersburg... - Yucca gigantea Lemaire 1859
- Yucca ghiesbreghtii Peacock ex Baker 1880
- Yucca guatemalensis Baker 1872
- Yucca lenneana Baker 1880
- Yucca mazelii Watson 1889
- Yucca moreana Peacock ex Baker 1880
- Yucca roezlii Peacock ex Baker 1880