Yucca (soapweed)

Yucca baccata(?)

Edible plant

Native American

Photo credit: Stan Shebs

Toxicity: Saponins mildly toxic/irritant if ingested in quantity (hemolytic) — use as food is of cooked fruit/flowers, not raw saponin-rich root.

Contraindications: GI irritation with high saponin intake.

Interactions: None well documented.

Evidence level

Preclinical

Supported by laboratory or animal studies; not yet confirmed in humans.

fruit roasted · fruit

Part used: fruit

Traditional use: food(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)

Evidence:Folk

root pounded for soap/shampoo · root

Part used: root

Traditional use: soap/shampoo (and ceremonially, hair washing); poultices for inflammation/sprains; saponins studied for arthritis

Proposed mechanism: steroidal saponins — weak anti-inflammatory/antiarthritic signals in older studies

Evidence:Preclinical

flowers/stalk cooked · flower

Part used: flower

Traditional use: food(Folk and historical sources have not been validated by clinical research.)

Evidence:Folk

Edible parts: Ripe fruit (roasted/dried, sweet; Y. baccata 'banana yucca'), flowers and young flower stalks (cooked).

Do not confuse Yucca with superficially similar Agave or with sword-leaved ornamentals; raw saponin-rich root is not food.

Fruit: carbohydrates, fiber, vitamin C; staple/famine food.

Native American

Sources (2)