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Mojave Yucca
Yucca schidigera
  
About Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera) 20 Nurseries Carry This Plant Mojave Yucca is a species in the Agaveceae (Agave) family that is native to southern California. It grows in coastal sage scrub near the coast, in mountain chaparral, and in desert transition areas at elevations from sea level to 8,200 feet. Like others in this family it is a monocot, so the leaves have parallel veins. The leaves emerge from a central rosette, are succulent and quite stiff, with sharp terminal spines and long, tough fibers. Some of these fibers are typically visible along the edge of the leaves. Native people processed the leaves and used the fibers for cordage. In spring the plant produces a flower stalk 12-18 inches in height covered with white or cream colored flowers. The flower is pollinated by only a single species of Yucca Moth, and many of the flowers go unpollinated. The fruit is a large capsule holding dozens of black, wedge-shaped seeds. It reproduces only by seed, not by offsets as other Agaves do. Unlike most other members of this family, Mohave Yucca does not die after blooming, a trait it shares with Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia). For this reason, it tends to grow taller with age, starting at ground level as a young plant and eventually reaching 10ft. or more. Older plants are usually branched and each branch carrying a leaf rosette. Areas that support older specimens have not been disturbed or burned for many years.
Plant Description
Plant Type
Plant Type
Shrub, Succulent

Size
Size
1 - 16 ft tall
5 ft wide

Form
Form
Upright

Growth Rate
Growth Rate
Slow

Dormancy
Dormancy
Evergreen

Fragrance
Fragrance
Slight

Flower Color
Flower Color
Cream, White

Flowering Season
Flowering Season
Spring

Wildlife Supported
 
Hummingbirds and numerous insects are attracted to the flowers.

 
Butterflies & moths hosted ( 1 confirmed , 5 likely * ) SHOW ALL

Landscaping Information
Sun
Sun
Full Sun

Moisture
Moisture
Extremely Low, Very Low

Summer Irrigation
Summer Irrigation
Never irrigate once established

Nurseries
Nurseries

Ease of Care
Ease of Care
Moderately Easy

Cold Tolerance
Cold Tolerance
Tolerates cold to 10° F

Soil Drainage
Soil Drainage
Fast

Soil Description
Soil Description
Sandy and rocky. Soil PH: 5.0 - 8.0

Common uses
Common uses
Hedges, Deer Resistant, Bird Gardens, Butterfly Gardens

Maintenance
Maintenance
None. The dried flower stalk can be removed in fall or allowed to remain. Dried leaves can be pruned off or allowed to hang down along the trunk.

Propagation
Propagation?
For propagating by seed: No treatment.

Sunset Zones
Sunset Zones?
2, 3, 7, 8, 9, 10*, 11, 12, 14*, 15, 16, 18*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 23*, 24

Natural Setting
Site Type
Site Type
Dry mountain slopes, canyons, and flats from the immediate coast to the desert edge of southern California as part of Coastal Sage Scrub or Chaparral vegetation (coastal and mountains) or Creosote Bush Scrub near the desert

Climate
Climate
Annual Precipitation: 3.6" - 27.2", Summer Precipitation: 0.18" - 2.90", Coldest Month: 38.2" - 60.7", Hottest Month: 63.9" - 87.6", Humidity: 1.19" - 38.99", Elevation: 0" - 6548"

Alternative Names
Common Names: Izote De Ensenada, Spanish Dagger


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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