Yucca L.: yucca

Abstract

There are about 30 species of yucca native to North America and the West Indies. Although most of these long-lived, evergreen plants grow in the arid southwestern United States and on Mexican tablelands, yuccas are found up to 2,400 m in elevation in the mountains of Colorado (Arnott 1962; Webber 1953). Four western species are considered here (table 1). Great Plains yucca is a small acaulescent shrub 1 to 2 m tall, with narrow, swordshaped, spine-tipped, upright leaves 6 to 12 mm wide. Soaptree yucca is a medium to large caulescent shrub up to 9 m tall, with similar but wider (5 cm) and longer leaves (Arnott 1962; McKelvey 1947; Webber 1953). Tree-like in form, Joshua tree can exceed trunk lengths of over 3 m, with pseudodichotomous branching and long dark green leaves (Cornett 1991). Extensive stands of this sturdy tree can be found scattered throughout the Mojave Desert. The most common yucca in desert areas is Mohave yucca, a shrub or tree-like yucca reaching 1 to 5 m in height with rosettes at its tips (Jaeger 1940).

Parent Publication

• The Woody Plant Seed Manual

Citation

Alexander, Robert R.; Pond, Floyd W.; Rodgers, Jane E. 2008. Yucca L.: yucca. In: Bonner, Franklin T.; Karrfalt, Robert P., eds. The Woody Plant Seed Manual. Agric. Handbook No. 727. Washington, DC. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service. p. 1175-1177.