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Yucca brevifolia
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Joshua Tree
( Yucca brevifolia )
Yucca brevifolia
More Photos at CalPhotos
More Info at Jepson eFlora
Calflora
Click on blue squares to see occurrence records.
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)
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18 Nurseries Carry This Plant
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About Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)
18 Nurseries Carry This Plant
Add to My Plant List
Joshua Tree is a native tree-like monocot that grows from southern California to Utah. Although it grows to tree size, it behaves like a Yucca in every other respect. It tends to grow in the high desert at elevations from 1600-6600 feet, though it grows up to 11,000 feet in the White and Inyo Mountains. It is exposed to lower winter temperatures than other parts of southern California. In locations where it is common, such as the Mojave Desert, it forms large colonies known as Joshua Tree Woodland. The leaves are stiff, long (6-9 inches), narrow and sharply pointed on the tips. The flowers are greenish-white held on a long panicle and pollinated by a moth. Around 25 species of birds use Joshua trees as nesting sites. Because of its slow growth rate and its very specific requirements, it is not often used in typical residential gardens. However, it could be a great choice for a larger garden in a desert or semi-desert area.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Shrub, Succulent
Size
5 - 20 ft tall
35 ft wide
Form
Rounded, Upright Columnar
Growth Rate
Slow
Dormancy
Evergreen
Fragrance
Slight
Flower Color
White, Green
Flowering Season
Spring
Wildlife Supported
Numerous birds and insects
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1
confirmed
, 4
likely
* )
SHOW ALL
Yucca Giant-Skipper
Megathymus yuccae
Megathymus yuccae
*
Yellowstriped Armyworm Moth
Spodoptera ornithogalli
Spodoptera ornithogalli
*
Sosipatra rileyella
Sosipatra rileyella
*
Yucca Moth
Tegeticula yuccasella
Tegeticula yuccasella
*
Prodoxus aenescens
Prodoxus aenescens
Landscaping Information
Sun
Full Sun
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low
Summer Irrigation
Max 1x / month once established
Nurseries
Carried by 18
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to -20° F
Soil Drainage
Fast
Soil Description
Requires fast draining, coarse grained alluvial soil. Soil PH: 6.0 - 8.0
Common uses
Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens
Companion Plants
Clark Mounatain Agave (
Agave utahensis
),
Burrobush
(
Ambrosia dumosa
),
Bigberry Manzanita
(
Arctostaphylos glauca
),
Big Sagebrush
(
Artemisia tridentata
),
Desert Marigold
(
Baileya multiradiata
),
Buckwheat
(
Eriogonum species
),
Apache Plume
(
Fallugia paradoxa
),
California Juniper
(Juniperus californicus),
Penstemon species
,
Bladderpod
(
Peritoma arborea
),
Apricot Mallow
(
Sphaeralcea ambigua
), various cactus species
Propagation
?
From seeds. For propagating by seed: No treatment.
Natural Setting
Site Type
Dry places, high deserts such as the Mojave Desert, Antelope Valley, and portions of Death Valley National Park
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.8" - 22.6", Summer Precipitation: 0.20" - 2.65", Coldest Month: 33.9" - 61.6", Hottest Month: 61.4" - 87.8", Humidity: 2.30" - 41.40", Elevation: 748" - 7544"
Alternative Names
Common Names
: Izote De Desierto, Joshua Tree Woodland
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Joshua Tree
Yucca brevifolia
Sources include:
Wikipedia
. All text shown in the "About" section of these pages is available under the
Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License
. Plant observation data provided by the participants of the
California Consortia of Herbaria
, Sunset information provided by
Jepson Flora Project
. Propogation from seed information provided by the
Santa Barbara Botanical Garden
from "Seed Propagation of Native California Plants" by Dara E. Emery. Sources of plant photos include
CalPhotos
,
Wikimedia Commons
, and independent plant photographers who have agreed to share their images with Calscape. Other general sources of information include
Calflora
,
CNPS Manual of Vegetation Online
,
Jepson Flora Project
,
Las Pilitas
,
Theodore Payne
,
Tree of Life
,
The Xerces Society
, and information provided by CNPS volunteer editors, with special thanks to Don Rideout. Climate data used in creation of plant range maps is from
PRISM Climate Group, Oregon State University
, using 30 year (1981-2010) annual "normals" at an 800 meter spatial resolution.
Links:
Jepson eFlora Taxon Page
CalPhotos
Wikipedia
Calflora
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