Flower profile
Western joshua tree
Yucca brevifolia
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 January–December.
*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.
- 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 January–December. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 17,689 research-grade sightings of it in California, ranking #30 among the 110 flowers on our California list. iNaturalist
Western joshua tree gift ideas
Handmade western joshua tree 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.
-
Placeholder
Western joshua tree art print
-
Placeholder
Western joshua tree greeting card
-
Placeholder
Western joshua tree mug
-
Placeholder
Western joshua tree earrings
-
Placeholder
Western joshua tree embroidery pattern
-
Placeholder
Western joshua tree sticker
When does it bloom?
In California, most flowering sightings come in January–December.
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 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?
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 Western joshua tree 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: Inyo, Kern, Los Angeles, Mono, Riverside, San Bernardino.
More California flowers
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.