So last weekend, I was glancing across the front yard, eyes slightly unfocused, when I noticed something… different. Our yucca plant, which had been steadily and calmly providing a serrate-toothed fan of texture to the landscape for nearly 12 years, had sprung a stalk! The baby stalk was thrusting barely two inches above the top of the yucca’s leaves at that moment, but I knew it would grow fast.
Merely a week later, you can see where the stalk stands now, about five feet above the tips of the yucca’s leaves. This is the dramatic life-thrust of our lovely yucca plant, rich with offerings of sustenance and fertility. Sadly, when the process of flowering and fruiting is complete, the yucca plant will die.
So I am committing myself to making the most of this event. I will take photos along the way and share them here. Below you can see today’s close-up of the little seed pods peeking out from the stalk leaves. I ask myself: how do these desert plants find the resources – and the moisture! – to generate such a massively-complex life-giving stalk in such a short timeframe?
I have started researching the various uses of yucca stalks – though of course we won’t use the stalk until the plant has completely run its natural course.
You might enjoy these resources – including a video-journal of the making of a Native American style yucca flute. Outstanding!
- Native uses of yucca stalks
- Native American flute made from yucca stalk (video-journal)
- Yucca stalk as herbal supplement
Stay tuned – and please share any natural wonders you’ve experienced in your own front yard!
ElephantBeads 