Bloomipedia
Dwarf yucca (Yucca harrimaniae)
Photo: Robbie Hannawacker via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized

Flower profile

Dwarf yucca

Yucca harrimaniae

Dwarf yucca (Yucca harrimaniae) is a shrub in the Asparagaceae family, native in the lower 48 states.

Native to Utah

Dwarf yucca is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states.

6states where USDA records it
707UT sightings*
875U.S. sightings*

*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.

On our lists for: Utah

Quick look

Yucca harrimaniae Trel., the Spanish bayonet, is a species in the family Asparagaceae, native to Utah, Nevada, Colorado, northeastern Arizona and northern New Mexico, at elevations from 1000 m to 2700 m.

  • 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 6 states. USDA PLANTS
  • NatureServe lists it as native to Utah. NatureServe
  • iNaturalist has 707 research-grade sightings of it in Utah, ranking #83 among the 153 flowers on our Utah list. iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

Flowering records by month in Utah (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (26 records)

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
Utah
No list Utah has no state law listing endangered or threatened plants, so we show NatureServe's Utah ranks instead. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Utah.
Rare elsewhere
Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: NV (S2). (S1 critically imperiled, S2 imperiled, SH possibly extirpated, SX presumed extirpated.)

Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.

Can you eat it?

For peopleNot well documented

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.

For petsToxic to dogs, cats and horses

ASPCA's entry “Yucca” (Yucca spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Dogs, cats: Vomiting; Horses: liver disease… ASPCA

🌿 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 dwarf yucca in 6 states.

recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Utah.

Utah counties with USDA records: Beaver, Carbon, Duchesne, Emery, Garfield, Grand, Iron, Juab, Kane, Millard, Piute, San Juan, Sevier, Uintah, Wayne.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 38 counties across 6 states; the most are in Utah (15), Colorado (9), New Mexico (7).

Other Yucca on Bloomipedia (10): Yuccas, Mojave yucca, Soaptree yucca, Western joshua tree, Banana yucca, Great Plains yucca, Eastern Joshua tree, Twisted-leaf yucca, Common yucca, Torrey's yucca.

More from the Asparagaceae family (34 on Bloomipedia; most observed first): Solomon's plume (false Solomon's seal), Canada mayflower, Blue dicks, Common star-of-Bethlehem, Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley, Chaparral yucca, Wavy-leafed soap plant, Ithuriel's spear.

More Utah flowers

Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley (Maianthemum stellatum)

Star-flowered lily-of-the-valley

Maianthemum stellatum

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: May–July
Banana yucca (Yucca baccata)

Banana yucca

Yucca baccata

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–May
Plains pricklypear (Opuntia polyacantha)

Plains pricklypear

Opuntia polyacantha

Native

🌼 Blooms in UT: April–June

Sources