Stopped at White Sands National Park! It certainly lives up to the name! I was waaaay more impressed with these dunes over the ones in Death Valley! The white sand was fun to walk around in and a popular thing to do on these dunes is to board or sled the hills of the park! I rented myself a sandboard and some wax and very quickly learned how to board! (After a handful of tumbles). I had so much fun sliding down the hills and meeting some fellow travelers on the hills. My backpack was filled with sand by the end of the day!
The plant I got for you is the Soap Tree Yucca! (Yucca elata) Also in the Yucca genus, like our Joshua Trees! The plant is native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. They get their name from the soapy substance found in their roots and the tree that is high in saponins, which was used to make soap. Native Americans used the plants for many other things, like clothing, baskets, and mats! They are often found with many holes in their trunks formed by Yucca moth larvae! The flowers of this Yucca are the state flower of New Mexico!
The Fools Journeys 
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