Accession Count: 7
Common Name:
datilillo, tree yucca
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Yucca valida
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Yucca valida is an evergreen, treelike shrub that can grow as a single or multitrunked form, with large stems branching from the base and near the terminal end of the slender trunk. This yucca can branch five to 10 feet wide and grow up to 15 feet tall. The yellow-green leaves measure just over one foot long and one inch wide, and have white, filiferous margins. As the plant matures, the stem will grow erect and dead leaves will persist on the stem until they are five to six feet from the crown (1,3). This species of yucca has a rather shorter stalk of flowers growing from the crown compared to others, reaching one foot long, but similarly blooms a bundle creamy, white bell-shaped flowers. The scented flowers show through the late spring, and go on to generate black, fleshy fruits (2,3).
Compound:
Yuc val
Geographic Origin:
Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
Tree yucca is native to slopes, and sandy to rocky plain in southern, and pacific coast regions of the Baja California peninsula in Mexico (2,3).
Cultivation Notes:
Adapted to arid landscapes, Datilillo is best planted in full or reflected sun exposure and drought tolerable, requiring little to no water at all. Well drained soils and supplemental watering in the summer are encouraged (1). Y. valida is tolerant of temperatures as low as 17oF, best suited for USDA hardiness zones nine through 11 (1,4).
Ethnobotany:
Tree yucca is a great accent to tranasition zones when using xeriscape techniques, and shows best when utilizing its unique silhouette. When planting this specimen, consider the plant's sharply pointed leaves and keep away from areas of high pedestrian traffic (1,3). The Spanish common name 'Datilillo' translates to 'little date', due to the appearance of date palm groves when observing groupings of Datilillo from afar, and the similarity between this yucca fruit and a date. The date-like fruit was traditionally an important food to native people of Baja California, who harvested and ate the fruits. Often after roasting or boiling them (1,2). Additionally, the fibers of the plant were woven into textiles, and woody stems were used to to make fence posts and corrals (1).
Height:
11 - 15 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Moderate Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
White
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1. Turner, Raymond M, et al.
Sonoran Desert Plants: An Ecological Atlas. University of Arizona Press, 1995.
3. Mielke, J. (1997). Native plants for Southwestern landscapes. Austin: University of Texas Press.
