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Glite Dictionary
spoonleaf yucca

spoonleaf yucca

8.5
A desert plant with long stiff leaves that have thin threads at the edges
  • noun
  • US
translation icon : yucca de hoja cuchara
  • Gardeners appreciate the spoonleaf yucca for its striking foliage and low maintenance needs.

Examples

  • The spoonleaf yucca thrives in dry, sandy soils and is common in desert landscaping.

  • A cluster of spoonleaf yuccas provides architectural interest to the front yard.

  • The spoonleaf yucca thrives in arid climates.

  • Many gardeners love the spoonleaf yucca for its unique shape.

  • A cluster of spoonleaf yuccas provides architectural interest to the front yard.

  • Gardeners appreciate the spoonleaf yucca for its striking foliage and low maintenance needs.

  • The spoonleaf yucca thrives in dry, sandy soils and is common in desert landscaping.

Synonyms

Adam's needle
vsspoonleaf yucca
  • US
4 9.3

A plant like a spiky bush with long stiff leaves that have thin threadlike edges

is the same species but uses an alternate common name
Yucca filamentosa
vsspoonleaf yucca
  • Specialized
8.2

A tough garden plant with long stiff leaves that have white threads on the edges

is the same species but labeled by a different common name
Adam's needle-and-thread
vsspoonleaf yucca
  • US
9.9

A plant that grows in dry places with long stiff leaves that have thin threads along the edges

is the same species yet called by a different everyday name

Surface Forms

spoonleaf yucca singular
spoonleaf yuccas plural

Morphology

spoonleaf + yucca

The phrase is a straightforward compound: 'spoonleaf' can be decomposed into 'spoon' + 'leaf' modifying 'yucca', so a learner who knows 'spoon', 'leaf' and 'yucca' can infer it refers to a yucca with spoon-shaped leaves. This follows common English noun-modifier compounding and descriptive plant-naming patterns found across languages, making the meaning predictable for a B1 learner.

Etymology

Spoonleaf yucca is a name that describes the plant: the long, stiff leaves look a little like small spoons, so people called it spoonleaf, and yucca shows it is a kind of 'plant'. That's why the name means a 'plant' with spoon-shaped leaves and thin, thread-like edges.