Flower profile
Chaparral yucca
Hesperoyucca whipplei
Chaparral yucca is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California
Quick look
Hesperoyucca whipplei, the chaparral yucca, our Lord's candle, Spanish bayonet, Quixote yucca or foothill yucca, is a species of flowering plant closely related to, and formerly usually included in, the genus Yucca. It is native to southwest communities of North America.
- It belongs to the Asparagaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 2 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–June. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS lists its flower color as white. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS gives its bloom period as late spring. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists a mature height of about 4 ft. USDA PLANTS
- iNaturalist has 26,153 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #13 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Chaparral yucca gift ideas
Handmade chaparral yucca gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Chaparral yucca art print
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Chaparral yucca greeting card
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Chaparral yucca mug
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Chaparral yucca earrings
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Chaparral yucca embroidery pattern
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Chaparral yucca sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in March–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G4 Apparently secure worldwide. NatureServe
- California
- Not listed Not on California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026). NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in California. CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
It isn't on the ASPCA plant list.
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records chaparral yucca in 2 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California.
California counties with USDA records: Fresno, Kern, Los Angeles, Monterey, Orange, Riverside, San Benito, San Bernardino, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Tulare, Ventura.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile HEWH.
- iNaturalist, Hesperoyucca whipplei: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Hesperoyucca whipplei (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- California: California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026).
- California: California noxious weed species (3 CCR § 4500).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Hesperoyucca whipplei (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: no source found (marked "not well documented").
- Photo: velodrome via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.