Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
Mojave yucca, Spanish dagger, Izote de Ensenada
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Yucca schidigera
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
This is an evergreen shrub or small tree with grey-brown 6-12 inch diameter textured trunk, growing up to 16 feet tall with few upright branches and olive-green bayonet-like leaves growing from 2 to 4 feet long and 1-1/2 inches wide (3). White, bell-shaped, 1-2 inch long flowers are borne on branched clusters in the desert spring and late into summer (August and September) (3). The fruit is a dull-black, 2-4 inch long and 1 1/2 inch wide berry with thick, edible flesh appearing in summer and maturing in late summer containing many small black seeds (3).
Compound:
Yuc schi
Geographic Origin:
Northern Mexico
Ecozone Origin:
Biome Origin:
Desert
Natural History:
Native to the Mojave Desert, this Yucca was highly utilized by Indigenous peoples, which likely contributed to spread via seed trading throughout the Chihuahuan Desert, the Sonoran Desert, Baja California, and parts of New Mexico, Nevada, and Arizona.
Cultivation Notes:
This yucca typically grows on rocky desert slopes and creosote desert flats and are tolerant of temperatures down to 15F. They thrive in full sun and in soil with excellent drainage. It also needs no summer water.
Ethnobotany:
The fibers from the leaves of this species were used by Native Americans to make rope, sandals, and cloth (2). The flowers and fruit were both eaten and the black seeds were ground and used as flour (2). Some reports suggest that the roots were used to make soap and that native people used the soap to treat dandruff and hair loss (2). Extracts from this species are used in animal feed and various herbal medications (2). The rigid flower stalk of the yucca, after maturation, is used as a substitute for eucalyptus stems or logs to make didgeridoos. It is also used as a natural deodorizer, and is used in pet deodorizers. Steroid saponins are produced commercially from Yucca schidigera that can be used as naturally-derived food grade surfactant (2).
Height:
16 - 20 feet
Width:
0 - 5 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Summer
Flower Season:
ForeSummer
Color:
Cream
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
