Joshua Tree

Yucca brevifolia

Family: Agavaceae (Liliaceae) or Agave

Leaves: Clustered at plant base and along stem; simple; sword-shaped; stiff and pointed; 12" long; evergreen; serrate margins; blue-green.

Twigs/buds: Leaves attached to and covering main stem; lower stems are covered with old dead leaves that curl downward after they die.

Flowers/fruit: Flowers perfect; large; yellow-white; in showy, clusters on a long stalk at the ends of the stems; appear in April. Fruit a large capsule that hangs down at maturity.

Bark: Dark-brown; platy.

Wood: Little known or used, though formerly used occasionally for paper, packing materials, fuel, and novelties.

General: Native to much of desert southwest, including extreme southwestern Utah under an elevation of 3,500 feet; some can be seen between the lanes of Interstate 15 as you approach St. George. Grows in hot, dry areas and along valley bottoms. Often shrubby, but can reach 20' tall and 24" trunk diameter. Can be quite long-lived. Shade intolerant.

Landscape Use: Rarely used, but obviously is a good native plant for hot dry sites where freezing temperatures are rare. Flowers and foliage are fairly attractive. Supposedly zones 7-10, though I've seen several Joshua-trees doing well at Hill Air Force Base in Davis County, Utah.

Comments and Limitations:

• Evergreen broadleaf (retains its leaves for more than one year).