• Common Names Taxonomy – Joshua Tree Kingdom Plantae Yucca Palm plants – Subkingdom Tracheobionta vascular plants – Tree Yucca Division Magnoliophyta angiosperms, flowering plants – Palm Tree Yucca Class Liliopsida monocotyledons – Izote de desierto Subclass Liliidae Order Asparagales Family Asparagaceae Genus Yucca L. • Varieties – Y.b. var. brevifolia Engelm. – Y.b. var. jaegeriana McKelvey Habitat • Southwestern US – Mojave Desert Indicator Species – Between 1,300 and 5,900 ft • Dense Forests – Joshua Tree National Park Hardiness Zones: – Mojave National UDSA – 6-10 Preserve Sunset – 8-24 Characteristics • Grows up to 45 ft. tall – 3 in./yr. (first 10 years), then 1.5 in./yr. • Roots up to 36 ft. from trunk • Fibrous trunk with top-heavy branching • Live up to 1000 years • Leaves – Evergreen, linear, bayonet-shaped – 15-35 cm long, 7-15 wide at base – Sharp tips and white serrate margins – Form dense spirals at ends of stems • Flowers – White and borne on panicles. – Pollinated by Yucca Moth – Dependent on rainfall; need winter freeze • Fruit – Semi-fleshy – Elliptical – Green-brown Threats? • Agave Weevil? • Humans? • Root rot? Uses? • Xeroscaping • Specimen Plant • Food (seeds, flowers) • Sandals • Baskets • Red dye Why I Like the Joshua Tree Sources • http://geotripper.blogspot.com/2010/12/last-christmas-gift-joshua-tree.html • http://www.panoramio.com/photo/1994976 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca_brevifolia • http://www.sciencephoto.com/media/34337/enlarge • http://dragonflyseye.blogspot.com/2010/04/joshua-trees-in-bloom.html • http://www.flowersociety.org/JT_Botanical.htm • http://cannundrum.blogspot.com/2010/07/joshua-tree.html • http://www.britannica.com/bps/media-view/138569/1/0/0 • http://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value =565605 • http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/123/ • http://bugguide.net/node/view/304425 • http://www.starnursery.com/media//SN_Tips/SN410_Joshua-Trees-Care.pdf • http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2032/1979443914_355cc1996b.jpg • http://www.wallpaper77.com/upload/DesktopWallpapers/cache/Joshua-Tree- landscape-1280x1024.jpg • http://www.flickr.com/photos/jobaria/2242431689/in/photostream .