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Yucca schidigera

Mojave yucca

Asparagaceae Mojave and Sonoran deserts

Attracts Pollinators Deer Resistant Drought Tolerant Container Friendly

Native to North America

SunFull Sun

WaterVery Low · drought-tolerant

HardinessZones 8–11

Overview

Mojave yucca is an evergreen, slow-growing desert plant in the asparagus family, forming a single or few-branched trunk topped with dense rosettes of stiff leaves, reaching 3-15 feet (0.9-4.5 m) tall and 3-8 feet (0.9-2.4 m) wide. The rigid, sword-shaped leaves are 1-4 feet (30-120 cm) long, yellow-green to blue-green, edged with curling white fibers and tipped with a sharp, hard spine. Old leaves bend down and persist as a dry skirt around the trunk. In spring tall flower stalks rise from the rosettes, carrying dense clusters of waxy, creamy-white, bell-shaped flowers, each 1-2 inches (2.5-5 cm) long. Yucca schidigera is pollinated by yucca moths, which the plant depends on for seed, and it also spreads from offsets at the base. It withstands intense heat, drought, and poor, rocky soil but rots in wet ground or humid climates. The stiff, spine-tipped leaves are sharp and make it awkward to place near paths. Growth is slow, and a trunk-forming plant takes many years to develop.

Native Range

Native to the Mojave and Sonoran deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, including southern California, Nevada, Arizona, and Baja California. Yucca schidigera grows on dry slopes, mesas, and creosote-bush flats, often in rocky, well-drained ground.

Suggested Uses

Grown in desert, gravel, and xeriscape gardens, on dry slopes, and as a sculptural specimen in hot, arid regions. Its drought tolerance suits low-water and rock gardens set away from paths, given the sharp leaves. It also serves in erosion control on dry, rocky ground.

How to Identify

Recognized by rosettes of stiff, sword-shaped yellow-green leaves with curling white fibers along the edges and a sharp spine at the tip, borne on a short trunk. Spring flower stalks hold dense clusters of waxy creamy-white bells. The thick, rigid leaves and trunk separate it from the smaller, softer-leaved Yucca whipplei and from the narrower-leaved Yucca elata.

Appearance

Size & Dimensions

Height3' - 15'

Width/Spread3' - 8'

Colors

Flower Colors

Foliage Colors

Fall Foliage Colors

Bloom Information

Bloom Period

~4 weeks

Spring

Blooms in spring, usually April to May, when stout stalks rise above the leaf rosettes with crowded creamy-white flowers. Night-flying yucca moths pollinate the flowers and lay eggs in them, a relationship the plant relies on to set seed. Dry seed capsules follow in summer.

Detailed Descriptions

Foliage Description

yellow-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 - 8.0(Neutral)

357912

Soil Types

sand rocky loam

Drainagewell drained

Water & Climate

Water Needs

Very Low

Frost Tolerance

hardy

Time to Maturity

5-10 years

Drought Tolerance

Drought tolerant when established

Care & Maintenance

Care Guide

Grows in full sun in sharply drained, sandy, gravelly, or rocky soil with a pH from 6.0 to 8.0. It is keyed to desert conditions and needs little or no water once established, rotting easily in wet or poorly drained ground. Cold tolerance reaches roughly 10 to 15 F (-12 to -9 C), but it fails in humid, rainy climates. It needs no feeding, and lean soil suits it better than rich. New plants grow slowly and may take years to form a trunk and flower. Offsets at the base can be separated to start new plants, and seed needs the moth or hand-pollination to form.

Pruning

Little pruning is needed beyond removing spent flower stalks after bloom. Dead lower leaves can be trimmed to expose the trunk or left as a natural skirt. The spine-tipped leaves are sharp and awkward to trim closely.