| Common Name |
Joshua tree |
| Latin Name |
Yucca brevifolia |
| Family |
Agavaceae |
| Sunset zones / USDA zones |
8-24 / 7-10 |
| Type / Form |
Tree / Medium |
| Native Habitat |
Mojave Desert between 2,000 and 6,000 feet |
| Soil |
Dry, decomposed granite, clay loam, well drained |
| Exposure |
Full sun |
| 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, stiff and dagger-like,
numerous at the ends of branches, 6 to 12 inches long, sharp pointed
tip, edges fine toothed, blue green |
| Flowers |
Bell-shaped, 1 1/2 inch long,
creamy yellow-green, occur at the ends of branches in upright 1 to 1 1/2
foot long clusters, appearing in spring |
| Bark / Roots |
Light brown, initially
covered with brown dead leaves, later irregularly scaly ridged and
furrowed / Not substantial |
| Maintenance |
None |
| Propagation |
Seeds |
| Pests and Diseases |
None |
| Landscape uses |
Rock garden, low maintenance, specimen |
| Garden Suitability |
Songbird, Butterfly, Ethnobotanical |
| 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 |
| Images and data |
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_brevifolia |
| Images and data |
http://www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/plants/tree/yucbre/all.html |
| Images and data |
http://www.delange.org/JoshuaTree/JoshuaTree.htm |
| Images and data |
http://hegel.lewiscenter.org/users/mhuffine/projects/sci_pdf/josh_tree_bio%5B1%5D.prn.pdf |
| Images and data |
http://www.calflora.org/cgi-bin/species_query.cgi?where-calrecnum=8375 |
| Images and data |
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=YUBR |
| Images and data |
http://www.nazflora.org/Yucca_brevifolia.htm |
| Distribution map |
http://esp.cr.usgs.gov/data/atlas/little/yuccbrev.pdf |
| Distribution
map |
http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=220014441 |
| Nursery, images, and
data |
http://www.laspilitas.com/nature-of-california/plants/yucca-brevifolia |
| Nursery, images, and data |
http://www.cnplx.info/nplx/species?taxon=Yucca+brevifolia |
| Nursery |
Oak Hills Nursery, 13874 Ranchero Road, Oak Hills, 92345,
760-947-6261 |
| Note: |
Difficult to transplant. Best success from seeds
or one gallon size. |
