Flower profile
Mojave yucca
Yucca schidigera
Mojave yucca is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. It's on our flower lists for 2 states, and across the U.S. it's most often seen in bloom in February–May.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: California, Nevada
Quick look
Yucca schidigera, also known as the Mojave yucca or Spanish dagger, is a perennial plant in the asparagus family Asparagaceae, native to the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico. It is most common in the Mojave Desert, but also occurs extensively in the Sonoran Desert and west to the Pacific coast of southern California and Baja California.
- 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 4 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to California and Nevada. NatureServe
- In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. iNaturalist
- In Nevada, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in February–May. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 14,802 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #46 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 6,651 research-grade sightings of it in Nevada, ranking #3 among the 110 flowers on our Nevada list. iNaturalist
Mojave yucca gift ideas
Handmade mojave 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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Mojave yucca art print
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Mojave yucca greeting card
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Mojave yucca mug
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Mojave yucca earrings
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Mojave yucca embroidery pattern
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Mojave yucca sticker
When does it bloom?
Bloom time in each of our 2 states
| State | Type | Peak bloom | Sightings* |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | Native | February–May | 14,802 |
| Nevada | Native | February–May | 6,651 |
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)
- Nevada
- Not listed Not on Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010). NatureServe: S4, apparently secure in Nevada. NAC 527.010
- Rare elsewhere
- Other states where NatureServe ranks it rare or missing: UT (S1). (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?
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.
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 mojave yucca in 4 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Arizona, California, Nevada, Utah.
California counties with USDA records: Imperial, Los Angeles, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego.
Nevada counties with USDA records: Clark, Nye.
More California flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile YUSC2.
- iNaturalist, Yucca schidigera: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Yucca schidigera (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).
- Nevada: Nevada fully protected plants, critically endangered (NAC 527.010).
- Nevada: Nevada noxious weeds (NAC 555.010).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Yucca schidigera (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Dawn Nelson via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.