The Deer and the Yucca

Yesterday, a mule deer buck pranced into my yard and began systematically plucking the seedy fruits from the tall stalks of my yucca.  The deer seemed pretty happy about the feast and did not bound away when I stepped outside to watch.  The fruits are no small morsel—each is the size of a toddler’s clenched fist.

I snapped a couple photographs as the deer munched away.

Watching the deer gobble down the fruits made me curious.  I wondered if I could eat a fruit without either having colorful visions of fuzzy space invaders or capsizing and sinking from lethal poisoning.   A while back, my friend Clay asked me what sort of yucca I had growing.

The kind that hurts you when you get poked by a leaf?  The sword kind?

Yesterday, I consulted my plant books and discovered that the plant in my yard is called a “narrow-leaved” yucca.  The fruit, thank you, is edible (as are the flowers) and the seed pods were often roasted in ashes before being eaten.

I cut into one of the pods and took a nibble of the raw interior.

Not bad.  Really…not bad.

Following that, I barbecued a fruit on my grill.

A little bitter, but edible.

Posted below is a photograph of what the fruits look like when sliced.  I have altered the contrast of this photograph.

Yucca…it’s what’s for dinner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

--Mitchell Hegman