Flower profile

Western joshua tree

Yucca brevifolia

Western joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is a shrub or small tree in the Asparagaceae family, native in the lower 48 states, blooming mostly March–April across the U.S.

Native to California

Western joshua tree is a flowering plant that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In California it's most often seen in bloom in March–April.

4states where USDA records it

17,689CA sightings*

18,419U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: California

Quick look

Yucca brevifolia, commonly known as the Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, or palm tree yucca, is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca.
From Wikipedia's article Yucca brevifolia, CC BY-SA 4.0.

It belongs to the Asparagaceae family. ^iNaturalist
USDA PLANTS describes it as a shrub / a tree 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. ^NatureServe
In California, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in March–April. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 17,689 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #30 among the 178 flowers on our California list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In California, most flowering sightings come in March–April.

Flowering records by month in California (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (2,088 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed Not listed under the Endangered Species Act. USFWS ECOS does track it with the label “Not Listed,” which is informal and gives no legal protection. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe global: G3 Vulnerable worldwide. ^NatureServe
California: Candidate for state listing On California state-listed endangered, threatened and rare plants (14 CCR § 670.2), per CDFW's CNDDB list (July 2026): candidate for state listing. 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.

Please leave it where it grows

Please don't pick or dig this flower: it's on California's rare plant list (candidate for state listing). ^{CNDDB listed plants (July 2026)}

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 Western joshua tree in 4 states.

AKMEVTNHWAIDMTNDMNILWIMINYRIMAORNVWYSDIAINOHPANJCTCAUTCONEMOKYWVVAMDDEAZNMKSARTNNCSCDCOKLAMSALGAHITXFL

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: Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino.

Names, range and relatives

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 15 counties across 4 states; the most are in California (6), Arizona (4), Nevada (4).

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

Western joshua tree and Eastern Joshua tree are covered by the same Wikipedia article. They are listed separately because iNaturalist treats them as different taxa (Yucca brevifolia and Yucca jaegeriana).

More California flowers

Blue dicks

Dipterostemon capitatus

🌼 Blooms in CA: February–May

Chaparral yucca

Hesperoyucca whipplei

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: April–June

Wavy-leafed soap plant

Chlorogalum pomeridianum

Native

🌼 Blooms in CA: May–July

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile YUBR.
iNaturalist, Yucca brevifolia: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Yucca brevifolia (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, Yucca brevifolia (global and state ranks).
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Dan Horowitz via iNaturalist · CC0 · resized.