Yucca Flowers

Yucca in bloom

Flowers close up

   Yucca is just an incredible plant. It can be used for so many things, from food and medicine to fiber,dyes and soap. As the seasons progress, different parts of the plant are used at different times, though fiber can be extracted from the leaves anytime. As the seasons go on I will cover different usages at different times.
  Today we will pursue using the flowers. Simply, the flowers are edible. I don't like the inside part very much but the petals are good. Since the flowers are large and the petals are thick and succulent, they are more substantial than most other flowers. I like to eat them raw as a nibble or as a salad additive. You can bread or flour them and fry them as you might a squash flower. You can dry them and use them for tea or grind the dried flower and use the flour as an addition to muffins or pancakes. In certain Yuccas the flower stem is also edible (actually they are all edible just that some are very fibrous or woody) when young and before the flowers come out. Cook as you would asparagus. I have never tried this as I can never bring myself to cut the flower stem knowing how many beautiful flowers will develop on them! They are just too beautiful. Maybe if I lived in the southwest, where I have seen Yucca plants growing in groups of hundreds of plants taking up an area the size of half a football field, I would certainly consider trying some flower stalks.
  Anyway, the flowers don't last very long so get them while you can!
Peace