Accession Count: 0
Common Name:
Joshua tree
Family Name:
Asparagaceae
Botanical Name:
Yucca brevifolia
Sub Species:
Variety:
Forma:
Cultivar:
Characteristics:
Joshua tree is a tree-like monocot with varying form, with extensive branching that creates an odd and unique shape. Yucca brevifolia reaches heights up to 20 to 30 feet and extends six to 15 feet wide. The branches consist of rosette clusters at the end of branches. The leaves that make up the clusters are about 14 inches long and half an inch wide, light green in color. They are linear and triangularly shaped with serrate margins. Lower leaves die but do not fall off, coating the trunk and giving the tree a fuzzy appearance. Blooming in late winter to early spring, the flowers are numerous, small, and white to green in color, borne on a flower stalk that comes out of the terminal cluster of leaves. The subsequent spongy fruits are egg-shaped, indehiscent capsules, forming at the base of the inflorescence while it is still in bloom (1,8).
Compound:
Yuc bre
Geographic Origin:
Mohave desert
Ecozone Origin:
Nearctic
Biome Origin:
Natural History:
The Joshua tree is endemic to the Mohave desert which extends into southern Nevada, southwestern Utah, western Arizona, southeastern California, and northern Baja Peninsula (1).
Cultivation Notes:
The Joshua tree can be propagated by seed or by transplanting basal or rhizomatous offshoots. Seeds do not require treatment, but have been found to germinate best at warm temperatures, around 60 to 70°F (1,2). Plant Y. brevifolia in the fall or spring in full sun in a hole 2-3 times larger than the container, and give it ample room to branch and grow. It can tolerate poor, alkaline, or saline soils, but needs good drainage (1,4,8). Joshua trees require little care, and should be planted in full sun exposure and given no additional water. They can withstand temperatures as low as 10°F, making them relatively hardy (8).
Ethnobotany:
This tree creates a striking silhouette in any landscape, and is mostly used for individual display. When using xeriscape techniques in landscape design, Joshua trees should be placed in transition or arid zones (8). The name “Joshua Tree” was given by Mormon settlers in the 19th century, in reference to its appearance to them as the biblical character Joshua, reaching up to God (6). The Joshua tree, like other yuccas, has edible fruits, seeds, flowers, and young flower stalks, and were part of the diets of many native peoples of the southwest (3,5). The fruit of the Joshua tree, however, is dry and corky and not often eaten, except by the Death Valley Shoshone. Panamint people in California harvested the young terminal buds by twisting off the top of the rosette, then removed the leaves, and roasted and consumed the bud (3). The flower buds were often boiled and cooked, while the fruit can be cooked or roasted. Like most yuccas, the fibers from Y. brevifolia have traditionally been used making baskets and other textiles. Roots Y. brevifolia contain saponins and have been used to make soap (7). Early settlers in the 19th century used the Joshua tree for fencing and fuel (6).
Height:
20 - 50 feet
Width:
11 - 15 feet
Growth Rate:
Slow Growing
Grow Season:
Spring
Flower Season:
Spring
Color:
Cream
Function:
Accent
Spread:
Non-spreading
Allergen:
Non-allergenic
Invasive:
Benign
Toxicity:
Benign
Hardy:
Hardy
Water Use:
Low water Use
Citations:
1. USDA, Fire Effects Information System _-- Retrieved Oct. 22, 2018
2. Hartmann,
K.T., and Kester, D.E. (2011). Plant Propagation: Principles and
Practices (8th ed.). New Jersey: Prentice Hall. Print.
3. Hodgson,
W.C. (2001). Food Plants of the Sonoran Desert. Tucson: University of
Arizona Press. Print.
4. Irish, M.
(2003). Arizona gardener’s guide. Tennessee: Cool Springs
Press. Print.
5. Phillips,
S.J. and Comus, P.W. (2000). A Natural History of the Sonoran
Desert. Tucson: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Press. Print.
6. Joshua Tree in: US National Park Service _-- Retrieved Oct. 22, 2018
7. Yucca brevifolia:
Plants for a Future -- Retrieved Oct 22, 20188. Mielke, Judy. Native Plants for Southwestern
Landscapes. University of Texas Press, 1993.
