< Back

Mojave Yucca

Yucca schidigera

In stock

1 gallon; 5 gallon

Plant Care

Native region:

Local Native; Mojave Desert

Water needs:

Low

Exposure:

Mature size:

Growth rate:

Full Sun

1'x15'

Slow

Flower color:

Flower season:

Pruning:

Cream

Spring

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

Wildlife

Monarchs:

Nectar pollinators:

Nighttime pollinators:

Yes

Rabbit resistant:

Yes

Mojave Yucca, also known as Spanish Dagger, is a species in the Agave family native to southern California. It typically grows in desert transition areas on rocky slopes and creosote scrub flats at elevations between 980 and 3,940 feet. This plant thrives in full sun and requires soil with excellent drainage. While most common in the Mojave Desert, it is also widespread in the Sonoran Desert and extends west to the Pacific coast of southern California and into Baja California, reaching its southernmost range in the Baja California desert.

The Mojave Yucca produces clusters of long, stiff, dagger-like leaves at the tops of its branches. The leaves can grow up to 60 inches long and feature stringy fibers curling from the margins, with sharp, spiny tips. Native peoples traditionally processed the leaves for their fibers, using them to make cordage.

In spring, the Mojave Yucca produces a flower stalk 12 to 18 inches tall, adorned with white or cream-colored flowers. The flowers are pollinated by a single species of Yucca Moth, meaning many flowers may go unpollinated. Unlike most other members of the Yucca family, the Mojave Yucca does not die after blooming. This allows it to grow taller with age, starting as a ground-level plant and eventually reaching heights of 10 feet or more. Older specimens resemble small Joshua Trees.

The Mojave Yucca can tolerate cold temperatures down to 10°F.

Growing Plants in the Desert — Important Information

The information presented here is, to the best of my knowledge, accurate and based on my research from reliable sources, observations I have made of plants growing in my, and other gardens I have visited, and observations of the plants in their native habitats. I would appreciate your feedback and experience to help me educate others!

Cacti: In my experience, cacti are much happier in the filtered shade here in the low desert of the Coachella Valley. Colors are more vibrant and they bloom more profusely, especially the non-native varieties. If you pay attention to how our native barrel and beavertail opuntia grow in the wild, it is frequently tucked in the rocks under creosote or another shrub.

Light Requirements: I have found that in our desert (Sonoran/Colorado) “full sun” plants can take and appreciate the late afternoon filtered sun, especially in the hot summer months.