Yucca L.

Yucca

Yuccas that are small trees

	Yucca elata	Yucca filifera	Yucca schidigera
Common Name	soaptree yucca	tree yucca	Mojave yucca
Plant	A small tree 4–15′ (1.2–4.5 m) tall, with a thick brown trunk, sometimes branched, mostly covered in a skirt of dried leaves	Up to 33–46′ (10–14 m) in height, and a diameter of up to 9½′ (3 m). They typically begin to branch out at a height of 9½–13′ (3–4 m).	A small tree, up to 8–16′ (2.5–4.8 m) tall (to a maximum of 30′ (9 m)), topped by a dense array of swordlike leaves. Bark is gray-brown, with a skirt of dead leaves near the top.
Leaves	In dense whorls at the top(s) of the trunk(s). They are yellowish and leather-like, measuring 10–39 ⨉ ⅛–½″ (25–100 cm ⨉ 5–13 mm), with wiry white filaments.	Clusters of sharp rigid straplike leaves emerge from the plant tops, interspersed with tough curly thin white filaments. Leaves are blue-green, forming clusters up to 3′ (91 cm) in diameter.	12–59 ⨉ 1½–4″ (30–150 ⨉ 4–11 cm) wide at the base, tapering to sharp tips. They are thick, stiff, yellow- to blue-green, with wiry white filaments.
Flowers	White, bell-shaped, 1–2″ (3–6 cm) long. Flowers are on a spike that emerges well above the leaves	In clusters 4–6′ (1.2–1.8 m) long are covered with cream-colored flowers.	White, sometimes tinged with purple, urn-shaped, 1–3″ (3–7.5 cm) long, copious, on a central spike.
Fruit	Capsules are 1½–3 ⨉ ¾–1½″ (4–8 ⨉ 2–4 cm).		Seed capsules are dark brown or dull black, with six sections, roughly cylindrical, 1¾–4½″ (5–12 cm) long × 1–1½″ (3–4 cm) in diameter.
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 7-12	USDA Zones: 8-12
Habitats	Dry, sandy plains, mesas and desert washes, desert grasslands		Rocky desert slopes and creosote desert flats between 984–3937′ (300–1200 m) elevation, and rarely up to 1.6 mi (2.5 km).

	Yucca ×schottii	Yucca thompsoniana
Common Name	Schott’s yucca	beaked yucca
Plant	Up to 16′ (5 m) high, with dark brown, sometimes branched trunks up to 12″ (30 cm) in diameter.	A small tree 6–12′ (1.8–3.7 m) high and 6′ (1.8 m) wide, with a trunk that is sometimes branched. Leaves emerge in a spherical shape from the tips of the trunk(s), with dead leaves forming a skirt
Leaves	Lanceolate, blue-green to gray-green, broader in the middle and tapered at both ends. The rigid, sometimes slightly curved leaves are up to 2′ ⨉ 3″ (60 ⨉ 8 cm), and tipped with hard spines.	Stiff, narrow, swordlike, 8–24″ (20–60 cm) × ½″ (1.3 cm). Leaf edges are hard, pale yellow, often with fine teeth
Flowers	White. The flowers open at night.	White, round to bell-shaped, on 2–3′ (60–91 cm) stalks above the leaf clusters
Fruit	The white flowers turn into a fleshy green eggplant-shaped fruit which ripens to a deep purple by late summer or early fall.	1–2″ (3–6 cm) long × ⅜–¾″ (1–2 cm) thick
Range/ Zones	USDA Zones: 7-10	USDA Zones: 7b-11
Habitats	Rocky slopes, canyons, oak woodland; to 1.4 mi (2.3 km) elevation.	Limestone hills, rocky slopes, and plains at about 3281′ (1 km) above sea level.

Yucca description by Thomas H. Kent, not updated.

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