Hesperoyucca spp.

chaparral yucca

Asparagaceae

California, Baja California, and the southwestern United States

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Fragrant (light)

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 7–10

Overview

Hesperoyucca spp. is a small genus of rosette-forming plants in the family Asparagaceae, native to California, Baja California, and the southwestern United States. The familiar species H. whipplei, called chaparral yucca or our Lord's candle, forms a dense, spherical rosette 2-3 feet (60-90 cm) across of stiff, grey-green, sword-shaped leaves, each ending in a sharp spine. Most rosettes are monocarpic: after several years of growth a single rosette sends up a flowering stalk 6-15 feet (1.8-4.6 m) tall bearing hundreds of creamy white, sometimes purple-tinged, bell-shaped flowers, then dies. The flowers are pollinated by yucca moths, which the plants depend on to set seed. Hesperoyucca spp. grows on dry slopes in chaparral and coastal sage scrub, where it tolerates heat, drought, and poor soil. The sharp leaf tips and the death of the rosette after bloom are the main drawbacks in garden use.

Native Range

Native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, from California and southern Nevada and Arizona into Baja California. Plants grow on dry, rocky slopes, chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and desert margins.

Suggested Uses

Used as a structural accent in dry, rock, and native gardens, set well back from walkways because of the sharp leaves. The tall flower spikes mark late spring in xeric plantings. Plants also anchor hot, dry slopes that few others tolerate.

How to Identify

Recognized by a dense, ball-shaped rosette of rigid, grey-green leaves with finely toothed edges and a sharp terminal spine. In bloom, a tall, branched stalk rises well above the rosette carrying many creamy bell-shaped flowers. The single, towering flower spike from a low rosette is a clear field mark.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height6' - 15'

Width/Spread3' - 5'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring Summer

Flowering occurs in late spring to early summer, generally April to June, when a mature rosette throws up its tall stalk. The display lasts several weeks, after which the flowered rosette dies. Plants flower once they reach size, not on a fixed annual schedule.

Detailed Descriptions

Flower Description

creamy white, sometimes purple-tinged

Foliage Description

grey-green to blue-green

Growing Conditions

Sun Requirements

SunFull Sun

Requires 6-12 hours of direct sunlight daily

• Full Sun: 6+ hours of direct sunlight

• Partial Shade: 3-6 hours of direct sunlight

• Full Shade: Less than 3 hours of direct sunlight

Soil Requirements

pH Range6.0 - 7.8(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

5 or more years to flowering

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Plants grow in full sun and sharply drained sandy, rocky, or gravelly soil with very low water needs. They are deeply drought tolerant once established and store reserves in a fleshy base, drawing on them to power the tall flower stalk. Hardy forms tolerate cold to about USDA zone 7, while frost-tender species need milder areas. Summer irrigation and heavy, wet soil cause rot. After a rosette flowers and dies, offsets or seedlings carry the planting on. The spine-tipped leaves make placement near paths a consideration.

Pruning

Pruning is limited to removing the dead flower stalk and the spent rosette after bloom. Old outer leaves can be trimmed for appearance, with care around the sharp tips. Offsets, where produced, are left to replace the parent rosette.