Steven Davis, age ll, of Necedah, Wisc., for his question:
What are yuccas?
The deserts of the southwest are now radiant with breath taking colors. The drenching winter rains have fed the starved plant life and you can hardly walk without stepping on the crowded blossoms. Most people think that all these plants are cactuses but many are yuccas and the yucca is not a cactus.
Yucca plants are sturdy natives of the New World. They live in the deserts, on the driest prairies and cling to life on the bare ledges of the rocky, western slopes. Yuccas share many areas with the cactus plants, but they are lily type plants and very different from the average cactus. There are about 30 different species and every species is a beauty.
One is the shaggy Joshua tree that reminded the pioneers of an ancient prophet leading his people through the desert. There are several tree sized yuccas that lift towering spires of blossoms to the sky. Many shrub sized yuccas find places in the garden as prized ornamental plants and yuccas have useful qualities as well as eye appeal. The soap ward yucca yielded soap for the pioneers. The Indians used yucca fiber to weave ropes and rugs, sandals and baskets.
A true cactus has no proper leaves. Its thick and prickly lobes are really specially developed parts of the stem. The yucca has true Ieaves. Almost always they are long, thin spikey leaves like swords or daggers. The leaves of the smaller yuccas grow at ground level in a rosette around the central stem. Tree sized yuccas sprout their leaves high up the sturdy trunk. sometimes a palmy tuft of foliage crowns the top of the trunk.
As a rule, the yucca flower is unable to pollinate itself and depends upon a drab little yucca moth to fertilize its seeds. The female moth flies straight to the fragrant, night blooming flower and scrapes up a ball of pollen. Then she carries her golden treasure to another flower and lays her eggs in the tender tissues of the pistil. When this is done, she drops her Pellet of pollen and rams it down the throat of the flower. This brings the malt and female cells of the pollea and pistil together so that fertilization can take place. The eggs of the moth hatch and the larvae feed upon the developing seed pods.
The moth's mysterious talent makes it possible for the yucca to produce seeds. The yucca in turn provides food for the next generation of moths and though the greedy grubs eat their fill, enough seeds remain to hand on life to the next generation of yuccas.
Cactus flowers rival the rainbow and in season the surprising blossoms look like tufts of vivid paper pinned upon the clumsy plants. Yucca flowers are delicate in color and texture. Most of them are like papery bells of white or creamy yellow. Many yuccas sprout their blossoms on tall stems that reach from the center of the spiky rosette of leaves. some send up spires of dainty blossoms that reach 20 or 30 feet. They are at their best after sunset when they open wide and fill the desert air with their sweet fragrance.