Weeds
Spanish bayonet – Yucca aloifolia, Yucca spp.
Commonly cultivated, this garden escapee is found on roadsides and sand dunes. Very difficult to control due to spiny nature of plant creating impenetrable thickets.
Profile
Family
Agavaceae
Origin
North & Central America and the West Indies
What does it look like?
Evergreen, herbacious, slow growing perennial shrub or small tree, forming large spiny rosettes of leaves. Often freely branched.
Leaves
Depending on species. Green – bluish grey fleshy, linear to narrow-lanceolate, 0.3–1 m long, 2–5 cm wide, apex acute with terminal spine 10–20 mm long, margins finely toothed, surfaces glabrous.
Flowers
Creamy white, multi flowered panicle 1-3 m long
Fruit
Oblong purplish capsule, 6–8 cm long, indehiscent (doesn’t open on its own accord at maturity); seeds black
Roots
Large, dense and fleshy
Dispersal
Seed and vegetative reproduction where stem segments and leaf rosettes take root. Spread by humans, contaminated soil (earthmoving equipment, car tyres etc) and garden refuse dumping.
Control
Hand or mechanical removal, cut and paint, drilling, foliar spray. All plant parts should be removed from site.