Yucca gigantea (Spineless Yucca)

Native from central Mexico to Central America, this evergreen shrub or small tree can reach about 15 to 30 feet outdoors but stays smaller as a houseplant. Its thick, woody trunk bears rosettes of sword-shaped leaves with soft tips. Clusters of creamy white, bell-shaped flowers rise above the foliage. Drought-tolerant and widely cultivated, it is El Salvador’s national flower, known there as izote. Its flowers and young buds are used in Salvadoran dishes, and the plant is also grown as a living fence. The leaves and roots contain toxic saponins. Photographed in the department of Atlántico, Colombia.