Common Name:
blue yucca, denticulate-leaf yucca
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Yucca rigida
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Evergreen, slow-growing perennial with upright form becoming arborescent in form and often branching when mature. Up to 15 feet tall and 10 feet wide at maturity. Rigid, glaucous-blue, slender strap-like leaves grow to 2 feet long radiate out from the top of the stalk giving the plant a medium coarse texture. Flowers are creamy white, born on a stalk that emerges from the terminus in Spring and extending up to 3 feet tall.
Compound:
Yuc rig
Geographic Origin:
Chihuahuan Desert, North Central Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Biome Origin:
Desert
Natural History:
Native to Northern Mexico, this plant can be found in deserts from Texas to California. Highly prized ethnobotanically, this species of Yucca probably owes its dissemination throughout the Southwestern U.S. largely due to human activity.
Cultivation Notes:
This plant is drought tolerant once established. It is best grown in full sun in rocky, desert soils (3). Under cultivation, it should be planted in soil that has good drainage (4). This species has a moderate growth rate, which can be increased by supplying water from spring through summer, being careful not to over water (2). As with other Yucca species it is susceptible to root damage from beetle larva (1).
Ethnobotany:
The long, broad, and fibrous leaves provide fibers that can be soaked to use for weaving, rope making, sewing, and other fiber arts. The water used to soak fibers contains plant compounds called saponins that can be applied topically as a skin treatment, or used as a cleaner due to its surfactant properties.
Height:
11 - 15 feet
Width:
6 - 10 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Cream
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
