Perfect Balance

Despite a chilly morning and daytime highs hovering near 60 degrees Fahrenheit, winter deliberately loosens its grip on the Llano Estacado. The resurgence of the bird population is a sure harbinger of spring. As insects are still a rare food source, I surmise seeds of the various prairie graminoids provide adequate sustenance.

I wander lost in thought and chance upon a Plains Yucca with an eye catching display of color at the junction of old and new-growth leaves. Curiously, numerous curly strings adorn the base of the leaf bayonets. They appear to separate from the edges of the leaves. What if any is their function? Neither flora nor fauna on the unforgiving Llano does anything without purpose towards survival.

While old leaves wither and die, the native perennial unabashedly reveals its vitality. This member of the agave family manifests the seemingly contrary forces of life and death as interconnected opposites. They complement one another as the yucca interacts with the prairie ecosystem. Nature always strives to maintain balance.

© Ilija Lukić 2012

Perfect Balance (Plains Yucca)