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Thompson's Yucca

Yucca thompsoniana

Other common name(s):

Big Bend Yucca, Thompson Yucca, Beaked Yucca, Soyate, Palmita, Trans-Pecos Yucca

Family:

Asparagaceae (Asparagus Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Cactus & Succulent

Height

6
to
12
ft.

Spread

2
to
3
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Rocky, Dry

Light Requirement

Sun

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Season

Spring

Seasonal Interest

Nectar, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Hummingbirds, Moths

Maintenance

If you don’t like the height, cut it off at ground level, and it will leaf out at the base again. Hard to transplant due to deep, heavy tap roots. Adapts to any soil. In tests this plant could withstand record cold and torrential rains. Propagation: Seed, Root cuttings, Offsets transplant.

Comments

Blooms April-May. Native to the mountains of the Trans Pecos. Slow growing. Makes a good evergreen screen. The trunk is usually unbranched. The leaves are narrow and stiff and grow in a radiating mass near the top; they are 8-24 inches long and about 1/2 inch wide in the middle. The 2-3 ft. flowering stalk holds a dense panicle of white flowers slightly above the foliage.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym/s: Yucca rostrata, Yucca rostrata var. linearis

References

1) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=270&locationType=County&mapType=Normal 2) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=YUTH. 3) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 4) Wasowski, Sally and Wasowski, Andy, Native Texas Plants, Landscaping Region by Region, 1988, 1991, pg 265. 5), Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 6) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Yucca+thompsoniana&formsubmit=Search+Terms, 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=43153#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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