The captivating Yucca brevifolia, commonly known as the Joshua tree, is a member of the agave (Agavaceae) family.
With the Mojave, Great Basin, and western Sonoran Deserts composing its native growing range, this slow-growing evergreen monocot is an iconic desert dweller.
We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission.
These majestic drought-tolerant yuccas can’t be grown in just any garden! They require the perfect setting to thrive. Expansive growing spaces where summer is hot and winter is cold best suit their cultivation needs.
If your landscape is a perfect candidate for these majestic succulents, I highly suggest planting them to support their continued existence in the face of climate change. Continue reading to learn some amazing facts about Y. brevifolia and how to cultivate and care for them. Here’s what’s ahead:
Cultivation and HistoryY. brevifolia is an ancient plant species that can live for a long time. The average lifespan is 150 years. One 60-foot-tall Joshua tree growing in California is thought to be 1,000 years old!
Despite common names referring to them as trees, yuccas are not trees, although this particular species is the tallest and most tree-like.
They can reach over 30 feet in height with an open canopy of equal size. The species epithet brevifolia translates to “short-leaved.”
Their narrow and dagger-like blue-green leaves are about a foot long with pointy edges that are yellow and brown at the tip. The evergreen foliage grows in clusters at the end of the branches.
Younger Joshua trees have small trunks of about one to five feet in diameter and branches covered with dead leaves facing
Read more on gardenerspath.com