All Dasylirions are slow growing, so this one, even though it has been in my garden for a few years, has yet to take on the usual hemispherical shape.
Here you can see the typical saw-toothed edges of Dasylirion leaves. Unlike yuccas, the tips of the leaves are not sharp, but the edges are.
Mexican Grass Tree/Dasylirion longissima
Some day this will be a tall column topped with a pompom. That will probably be past my lifetime.
Green Sotol/Dasylirion texana
Desert Spoon/Dasylirion wheeleri
This is the Dasylirion that is most frequently seen in gardens.
Hesperaloes are grown for the colorful flowers. To some extent they reseed.
Hesperaloe funifera
Red Yucca/Hesperaloe parviflora clump, red or yellow flowers
Nolinas are good substitutes for yuccas as they do not have sharp points on the leaves. The flowers are similar to yuccas but not as pretty.
Nolina funifera
This nolina has threads on the edges of the leaves.
Nolina longifolia 6'x6' shrub
Beargrass Tree/Nolina matapensis
6'x6' shrub
a beautiful fountain-shape plant
Beargrass/Nolina microcarpa 4'x7' clump
Nolina nelsoni 12'x6' tree
Parry's Beargrass/Nolina parryi 15'x6' tree
Texas Beargrass/Nolina texana
5'x5' shrub
This nolina just looks like a messy overgrown clump of grass. It blooms reliably, but the long stalks of flowers aren't particularly pretty.
10'x5' clump
flowers nestled in leaves
This yucca requires a little more water than other varieties. I have all my desert plants on drip irrigation. The amount of water can be varied by the distance from the source and the button flow controller. The is one of the yuccas frequently found in nurseries.
10'x10' clump
yellow stripe on edges of leaves
Arkansas Yucca/Yucca arkansana 2'x2' rosette
15'x10' tree
flowers raised above leaves
This is a moderately slow grower. I bought mine 10 years ago with only 3 heads and now it has a dozen or so. However, that is an effect of watering. For a number of years I had it on drip irrigation and that caused it to branch out and to offset. Now it receives no water at all except for what the roots can find.
Silver-edged Yucca/Yucca constricta clump, white-edged leaves, flowers high, dies after blooming
Soaptree Yucca/Yucca elata 6'x8' tree, flowers high
Yucca Endlichiana tree
Adam's Needle/Yucca filamentosa 3'x5' flowers high
3'x5' rosette
flowers on high stalk
occasional red stripe on leaves
4'x4' rosette
flowers on high stalk
gold stripe on leaves
I found this plant at Lowe's last month and bought two.
Yucca filifera 25'x2' tree flowers hanging
Yucca flaccida 'Gold Sword'
3'x5' clump
flowers raised above leaves
gold stripe on leaves
Spanish Dagger/Yucca gloriosa
10'x8'
flowers raised above leaves
This is the yucca seen all over the Los Angeles area where it is often planted near lawns. It requires more water than other yuccas. it is not winter hardy in Barstow, but freezes back and branches when it comes out again. Mine look messy rather than stately because they have died back so many times.
Variegated Spanish Dagger/Yucca gloriosa 'variegata'
8'x6' tree
flowers raised above leaves
blooms in Fall
This species must be in a sheltered location as it is marginal in Barstow and will freeze back.
Yucca linearifolia 5'x5' shrub
Pale Yucca/Yucca pallida 2'x3' cluster
Yucca pallida x rupicola
10' clump of columns
flowers raised above leaves
However mine has been in the ground for 10 years and is simply a clump, not a clump of columns. It does bloom every Spring.
Yucca recurvifolia 'Gold Ribbons' 4'x4' shrub
clump
yellow stripe on leaves
The first year I thought this variety was mislabeled as it seemed unexpectedly sensitive to the winter cold, but it perked up with warmer weather.
12'x5' rosette
flowers nestled in leaves
Beaked Yucca/Yucca rostrata
12'x9' column
flowers on high stalks
After 10 years in the ground, this is a beautiful specimen plant.
Yucca rostrata 'sapphire Skies'
Twisted-leaf Yucca/Yucca rupicola 2'x4' shrub
Mojave Yucca/Yucca schidigera
16'x10' clump
flowers nested in leaves
This particular spectacular clump is on the south side of I-15 just beyond Outlet Center Drive. This native yucca is rarely found in nurseries. I suppose partly because it is native, and partly because the leaves are stiff and sharp.
Mountain Yucca/Yucca schottii
20''x5' column
flowers nestled in leaves
After 10 years in the ground, this plant is still a small clump.
Thompson's Yucca/Yucca thompsoniana
10'x5' clump
flowers raised above leaves
blooms in Fall
Our Lord's Candle/Yucca whipplei
3'x6' rosette
flowers raised high
dies after blooming
Chaparral Yucca/Yucca whipplei ssp caespitosa 3'x5' clump, flowers high
All of these pictures are from my garden. I'm afraid I'm a bit of a collector when it comes to desert plants. But I try to be a decent landscaper too.
Cordyline australis tree
Cordyline vivipara
Nolina bigelovii
Banana Yucca/Yucca baccata 3'x5' rosette flowers low, this one doesn't grow for me
Blue Yuca/Yucca glauca 3'x3' flowers raised
Very helpful post!! I am planning on planting a Nolina matapensis in my garden, but I have found on the web that it can get very tall to around 25-30 feet. Is this true? because you mention that it can get to a height of 6 feet. Thanks.
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