New Mexico Bucket List – Y ~ Blogging Through the Alphabet

I forgot to tell you ahead of time but I chose to skip X for this round. The reason – so much of the language of New Mexico is influenced by Spanish and native languages that you just don’t find words starting with the letter X. So, I skipped it. On to Y.

Yucca!

Do you know what a yucca is? (You say it just like it looks – yuck/a)

This is the state flower. It is a beautiful, tall, spiky plant with round or bell-shaped blossoms in a long, slender cluster at the top. The yucca is native to hot, dry areas, such as the desert southwest in the US, Central America, and the West Indies. There are other places where you can find yucca plants.

Yucca at White Sands; picture from NPS

The plant itself is known by many different names – soapweed (because parts of the roots can be used as a soap substitute), beargrass, Spanish bayonet, and others. Nicknames include Lamps of Our Lord and Our Lords’ Candles.

They are pollinated by a specific species of moth that lives only on the yucca plant. It is an evergreen and you can find them throughout the state.

Most parts of the plant are edible, though they may be less appealing when you look at the long, spiky leaves. The flowers, leaves, fruits, and stems can all be eaten.

This is a beautiful symbol of the state.

Blessings,
Lori, At Home.

Each week we will be linking up with the hosts of Blogging Through the Alphabet. Please visit some of these other blogs to get things like book lists, vegan recipes, and wonderful places to visit, just to name the topics I can think of off the top of my head.

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