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Flowers and leaves of yucca, care for room yucca at home
Description of yucca
Yucca refers to tree-like evergreens from the agave subfamily – monocot plants of the asparagus family. The stem of the plant is woody, in some species it is branched. Leaves are formed at the ends of the trunk or branches, they are linear-lanceolate with sharp ends. Large flowers, bell-shaped, white, drooping, collected in a panicle. The fruit of the yucca is in the form of a box or a fleshy berry.
Sometimes the stem is almost absent, and the plant is a bunch of large xiphoid leaves. There are a large number of plant species native to the southern United States and Mexico. Many species are found in Central America, cultivated in the southern regions of Europe.
Useful properties of yucca
Yucca is used as an industrial plant for the production of durable fiber. The leaves contain steroidal sapogenins, which allows the plant to be used in the manufacture of corticosteroid preparations. Known anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory properties of the plant. It contains enzymes, chlorophyll, antioxidants and many other useful substances.
The use of yucca
The plant is able to activate the functions of the body, increase blood pressure, cleanse the body, and have a beneficial effect on the organs of the respiratory system. Yucca is used for metabolic problems, helps to get rid of catarrh, polyps in the intestines. As experience shows, it can be used to relieve inflammation and eliminate pain in arthritis and gout. The natural substances of saponins exhibit the properties of steroids without causing any side effects.
Taking plant-based funds increases the body’s stamina, lowers blood cholesterol levels. Yucca is also used externally – in dermatology, preparing decoctions from it for the treatment of various dermatological manifestations. Yucca is used to treat eczema, neurodermatitis, lichen planus, psoriasis. The juice of the plant is excellent for treating skin rashes caused by viruses. As part of a special collection, yucca has a therapeutic effect on prostatitis.
Decoction of yucca: to prepare it, you will need to chop and mix 1 part of yucca root, hydrangea, large burdock, Manchurian aralia, add elm leaves, garden parsley, alfalfa, black cohosh, sessile flower lobelia, hot pepper, red clay. Then, to prepare a decoction of 2 teaspoons of this mixture, pour 500 ml of water and simmer for 15 minutes, then leave for 1 hour, strain and drink 0,5 cups 3 times a day. The course of treatment is 1 month.
Yucca fibers as a dietary supplement are included in shampoos and creams. This southern plant calms the nervous system, cleans the air well, absorbs sound, and contributes to the creation of an aesthetic environment.
yucca leaves
The fleshy leaves of yucca contain plant mucus, anthraquinones, and the steroidal saponin tigogenin. Due to this, the leaves of the plant are used to obtain steroidal saponins used for the synthesis of hormonal corticosteroid drugs that have anti-allergic and anti-inflammatory effects. In dermatology, juice is prescribed for external use, parts of the plant – in the form of a bath decoction for skin diseases that cause dryness and itching.
Yucca flowers
This heat-loving plant blooms at night with beautiful white or cream, bluebell-like flowers, quite fragrant, reminiscent of the smell of good soap. Fruits appear only in species growing in the wild, since pollination is performed by a butterfly – an inhabitant of the yucca’s native places. Due to its medicinal properties, the flowers are used to obtain extracts.
Yucca extract
The product extracted from yucca has a bactericidal, healing effect. Yucca flower extract contains zinc, selenium, sugars, steroidal sapogenins. It is used as a useful ingredient in the preparation of some cosmetic products for hair and skin care. This is a unique natural component that contributes to the normalization of the gastrointestinal tract by eliminating or reducing flatulence.
Also, the plant extract helps maintain immunity, cell renewal, slows down the aging process, eliminates disorders, thanks to saponins (high-molecular complex organic compounds of a glycosidic nature) reduces the smell of feces.
Yucca care at home
The plant, according to some sources, does not require special care, the main thing when growing is to place it in a sunny place and moderate watering. On sale you can find rooted cropped yucca trunks with side shoots and with a root system that has not yet strengthened. In order for the plant to develop properly, it is necessary to withstand a period of acclimatization.
Watering is the main process in the care of yucca. Excessive watering is excluded, this can lead to root rot, plants love spraying. Yucca prefers not very strong sunlight, top dressing should be done once every two months.
In winter, it is desirable to cover the tree, especially for growth in the northern regions. Yucca is popular all over the world. It is successfully grown on plots by gardeners of the Caucasus and Crimea, it grows and decorates the interior of the plant and in houses. The most commonly cultivated among the species are garden yucca, aloe-leaf, elephant and filamentous.
How to transplant yucca? Yucca transplantation is performed every two years and only in the spring. To do this, you need to apply a soil mixture consisting of clay-turf soil and humus (2 parts each), you can use peat with river sand (1 part each). Be sure to use good drainage and a large pot. Yucca can be propagated by rooting the tops of the stem, parts of the trunk, seeds or daughter rosettes.
Why do yucca leaves turn yellow? Improper care can lead to a lot of problems. Dry air in the room can cause the leaves to darken, low temperatures can cause them to curl. Brown spots appear on the surface of the leaf with insufficient watering. Since the yucca is characterized by the ability to accumulate water in the trunk, waterlogging the soil is fraught with the appearance of yellow leaves.
Yucca species
Yucca room. Yucca indoor is grown as an ornamental plant, it can also be used for medicinal purposes. The plant is similar to a palm tree, its height can reach 4 m, so it is suitable for placement in large halls. For planting this type of yucca, a deep pot with good drainage is required. In the summer, the yucca is taken out into the open air, in the winter they are kept indoors with a cool air temperature with fairly bright lighting. Indoor yucca will bloom after many years with white flowers. It has green, slightly bluish, xiphoid, linear leaves, collected in a bunch at the top of the trunk.
An incredibly beautiful decorative yucca decorates the flower bed with its sharp evergreen leaves in the shape of a sword, and at the time of flowering it attracts with a tall peduncle with large white bells. It is grown without much difficulty in pots, where it looks very impressive. Young specimens of the age of three are placed in three-liter pots, for an older representative of the genus agave, a ten-liter container is suitable.
Yucca aloe. This is the most popular yucca among hobby growers. Its main difference from other species is that it does not have side shoots. On its tree-like trunk, planted with notches left from fallen leaves, rather stiff, green leaves with a bluish tint grow, collected in the form of two or three sparse rosettes. They are very sharp, you can even cut yourself on them, so it is better not to keep such plants in places where people move. When choosing this type, it is necessary to observe the correct watering regimen, and then it will be possible to grow a healthy and beautiful tree.
Yucca nitchataya. An inhabitant of the east of North America takes root well at home, as it is resistant to pests, tolerates heat and drought. This is a stemless plant with bluish-green leaves with a pointed top, with edges covered with numerous white, thin, curling threads. Approximately 200 cm in height, a flower panicle grows, which is made up of yellowish-white, drooping flowers. The fruit has a rounded shape. The plant grows quickly and loves to sprout (stolons). In the conditions of the botanical garden, breeders managed to obtain several varieties of this species.
Elephant yucca. This is the most interesting species, its height reaches 10 m. An amazing plant, the care of which consists in following some simple rules, is widely used in industry and medicine. Ropes are made from strong fibers, and the juice of the leaves of the plant is used as the basis for some hormonal preparations. The native places of growth of this houseplant are Mexico and Guatemala. The imported stems are cut into fragments, planted in flower pots, they can be bought at any flower shop.
Contraindications to the use of yucca
Yucca has no contraindications, funds from it do not cause any side effects.