Species PlantsSoaptree Yucca

Soaptree Yucca

Yucca elata

CommonPlant
Illustration of Soaptree Yucca (Yucca elata)
Safety note: Leaf tips are very sharp.

Soaptree Yucca is a tall, tree-like yucca of the Chihuahuan Desert, reaching 20 feet, with a single trunk topped by a rosette of long, thin leaves. The White Sands National Park dune fields are famous for soaptree yucca plants 'stretching' to keep their rosettes above accumulating sand. Yucca moths exclusively pollinate the cream-colored night-blooming flowers.

Habitat
Chihuahuan Desert flats, desert grasslands, and sandy soils
Diet
Exclusive pollination by yucca moths; fruits eaten by deer and javelin
How common
Common

Best time to see a Soaptree Yucca

The best time to see a Soaptree Yucca is August–February, when about 65% of U.S. sightings happen, based on 18,741 research-grade iNaturalist observations.

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