# Banana Yucca (*Yucca baccata*) The Banana Yucca is a special plant with long, sharp leaves and big, creamy flowers. Its fruit looks like a banana and is sweet and tasty! This plant is great for helping animals and people in the desert. - **Category:** [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/categories/plant) - **Rarity:** Common - **Danger:** 2/5 · Low - **Snaps:** 10 - **Habitat:** Desert - **Also known as:** Desert Banana, Yucca Fruit ![Banana Yucca](https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?title=Special:Redirect/file/Yucca_baccata_whole.jpg&width=800) Photo: Stan Shebs, CC BY-SA 3.0 · [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Yucca_baccata_whole.jpg) ## Appearance The Banana Yucca has stiff, sword-like blue-green leaves forming a basal rosette. Its tall stalk bears creamy white, bell-shaped flowers, followed by large, green, banana-shaped fruits. ## Taxonomy - **Kingdom:** Plantae - **Phylum:** Tracheophyta - **Class:** Liliopsida - **Order:** Asparagales - **Family:** Asparagaceae - **Genus:** Yucca ## Interesting facts - Its flowers only open at night to be pollinated by its unique Yucca Moth! - Its spiky leaves provide excellent hiding spots for small desert critters! - The "banana" in its name comes from its edible, curved, fleshy fruits! - This tough plant can live for over 100 years in the harsh desert! ## Special abilities - **Moth Matchmaker:** Banana Yucca has a special partnership with the Yucca Moth for successful pollination and seed production. - **Desert Drinker:** Banana Yucca can store water in its thick roots and succulent-like leaves, helping it survive long droughts. - **Fruity Feast Maker:** Banana Yucca grows large, sweet, banana-shaped fruits that provide a vital food source for many desert animals. ## Measurements & details - **Height:** 50-300 cm - **Spread:** 60-120 cm - **Flower Size:** 5-10 cm - **Bloom Season:** Spring to early summer - **Edible:** Yes - **Toxicity:** None - **Lifecycle:** Perennial - **Pollination Method:** Insect ## Ecological connections - **Pollinates:** Yucca Moth (*Tegeticula yuccasella*) — The moth meticulously transfers pollen to fertilize the flowers. - **Eats:** [Mule Deer](https://www.snappit.app/explore/mule-deer) (*Odocoileus hemionus*) — Deer browse on the leaves and flowers when other forage is scarce. - **Eats:** American Black Bear (*Ursus americanus*) — Bears feast on the sweet, ripe yucca fruits during late summer. - **Shelter:** [Deer Mouse](https://www.snappit.app/explore/deer-mouse) (*Peromyscus maniculatus*) — Mice hide among its sharp leaves and consume the abundant seeds. ## Traits - [Flowering](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/flowering): Flowering plants are any plants that produce flowers as part of their reproductive cycle. - [Shrub](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/shrub): A shrub is a woody plant smaller than a tree, typically with multiple stems branching from or near the ground. - [Evergreen](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/evergreen): Evergreen plants retain their foliage throughout the year, never shedding all their leaves at once. - [Fruit Bearing](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/fruit-bearing): Fruit-bearing plants produce fruits, which are the mature ovaries of flowering plants containing seeds. - [Medicinal](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/medicinal): Medicinal plants possess chemical compounds that can be used for therapeutic purposes to treat illnesses or maintain health. - [Drought Tolerant](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/drought-tolerant): Drought-tolerant plants can survive and flourish in conditions with limited water availability. - [Edible](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/edible): Edible plants are those parts of a plant that are considered safe for human consumption. - [Pollinator Magnet](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/pollinator-magnet): Describes plants that are particularly attractive and beneficial to a wide range of pollinating organisms. - [Desert](https://www.snappit.app/explore/traits/desert): Desert habitats are arid regions characterized by extremely low precipitation and often extreme temperatures, supporting specialized flora and fauna. ## Collections - [Plants](https://www.snappit.app/explore/collections/plants) ## Safety **Danger:** 2/5 · Low Be careful around the sharp leaves; they can poke you! ## Frequently Asked Questions ### How to identify Banana Yucca? Start with the whole plant, then compare leaf arrangement, leaf edges, stems and any flowers or fruit. Opposite leaves grow in pairs; alternate leaves come one at a time along the stem. These details tell you far more together than a single green leaf does. Plant Identifier: upload a photo and compare the visible details. ### How tall is Banana Yucca? 50-300 cm ### How wide does Banana Yucca spread? 60-120 cm ### How big are the flowers on Banana Yucca? 5-10 cm ### When does Banana Yucca bloom? Spring to early summer ### Is Banana Yucca edible? Yes ### Is Banana Yucca toxic? None ### What is Banana Yucca's lifecycle? Perennial ## Where to spot - [Chiricahua National Monument Historic Designed Landscape](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/chiricahua-national-monument-historic-designed-landscape) — Arizona, US · National Park - [Bandelier CCC Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/bandelier-ccc-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Camino del Monte Sol Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/camino-del-monte-sol-historic-district) — New Mexico, US · Historic District - [Faraway Ranch Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/faraway-ranch-historic-district) — Arizona, US · Historic District - [Grandview Mine](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/grandview-mine) — Arizona, US · Historic Site - [Main Avenue Historic District](https://www.snappit.app/guides/places/main-avenue-historic-district) — Colorado, US · Historic District [View all places to see Banana Yucca](https://www.snappit.app/guides/where-to-see/banana-yucca) ## More Plants - [white snakeroot](https://www.snappit.app/explore/white-snakeroot) (*Ageratina altissima*) - [tree-of-heaven](https://www.snappit.app/explore/tree-of-heaven) (*Ailanthus altissima*) - [western sword fern](https://www.snappit.app/explore/western-sword-fern) (*Polystichum munitum*) - [common milkweed](https://www.snappit.app/explore/common-milkweed) (*Asclepias syriaca*) --- Source: [Banana Yucca: Facts & Places to See — Snappit](https://www.snappit.app/explore/banana-yucca)