| Common Name |
Joshua tree |
| Latin Name |
Yucca brevifolia |
| Native Habitat |
Mojave Desert between 2,000 and 6,000 feet |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, clay loam, well drained |
| Water |
None to once per month depending on soil |
| Height X Width |
Maximum 32 X 34 feet, usual 15 feet X 8 feet |
| Protective Mechanism |
Spines |
| Leaves |
Evergreen |
| Garden Suitability |
Songbird |
| Ornamental Value |
White to cream colored flowers in March followed by
attractive fruits |
| Nature Value |
Nesting for songbirds, doves, lizards, dead trunk house
woodpeckers and flickers, larval plant butterflies and yucca moths |
| Native American Uses |
Immature pods and fruits used for food, roots used for
dye and in basketry |
| Links |
|
| Article |
http://www.desertusa.com/jtree/josh_month.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.desert-tropicals.com/Plants/Agavaceae/Yucca_brevifolia.html |
| Images and data |
http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/123/index.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.cnr.vt.edu/DENDRO/dendrology/Syllabus2/factsheet.cfm?ID=589 |
| Nursery, images, and
data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/plants/694.htm |
| Distribution map |
http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/little/yuccbrev.pdf |
| Note: |
Difficult to transplant. Best success from seeds
or one gallon size. |
