Flower profile

Yuccas

Yucca

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

★ Official state flower of New Mexico (1927)Native in the lower 48

Yuccas is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In New Mexico it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.

41states where USDA records it

13,459NM sightings*

140,214U.S. sightings*

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

On our lists for: New Mexico

🏅

New Mexico's official state flower since 1927. Visit the New Mexico page → ^{N.M. Stat. Ann. § 12-3-4} The law names the yucca flower without a species, so this page covers the genus.

Quick look

Yucca is both the scientific name and common name for a genus native to North America from Panama to southern Canada. It contains 50 accepted species. In addition to yucca, they are also known as Adam's needle or Spanish-bayonet. The genus is generally classified in the asparagus family in a subfamily with the Agave, though historically it was part of the lily family.
From Wikipedia's article Yucca, CC BY-SA 4.0.

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 41 states. ^{USDA PLANTS}
In New Mexico, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. ^iNaturalist
iNaturalist has 13,459 research-grade sightings of it in New Mexico, ranking #2 among the 152 flowers on our New Mexico list. ^iNaturalist

When does it bloom?

In New Mexico, most flowering sightings come in April–June.

Flowering records by month in New Mexico (iNaturalist research-grade observations marked “Flowering”) (187 records)

Conservation status

Federal (U.S. ESA): Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. ^{USFWS ECOS}
NatureServe: Unknown We couldn't find this name in NatureServe Explorer. ^NatureServe
New Mexico: n/a New Mexico's list is by species, so a whole genus isn't assessed. ^{19.21.2.9 NMAC}

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 yuccas in 41 states.

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recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded

See the full list of states

Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming.

New Mexico counties with USDA records: Bernalillo, Catron, Chaves, Colfax, Curry, Dona Ana, Eddy, Grant, Harding, Hidalgo, Lea, Lincoln, Luna, McKinley, Mora, Otero, Quay, Rio Arriba, Roosevelt, San Juan, San Miguel, Sandoval, Santa Fe, Sierra, Socorro, Taos, Union, Valencia.

Names, range and relatives

Native status by region (USDA PLANTS): Canada: Native; Lower 48 states: Native; Puerto Rico: Introduced; U.S. Virgin Islands: Introduced.

County records: USDA PLANTS lists it in 1051 counties across 41 states; the most are in Texas (167), Kansas (87), Virginia (75).

Other Yucca on Bloomipedia (10): Mojave yucca, Soaptree yucca, Western joshua tree, 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.

More New Mexico flowers

Soaptree yucca

Yucca elata

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NM

Banana yucca

Yucca baccata

Native

🌼 Blooms in NM: April–May

Wheeler sotol

Dasylirion wheeleri

Native

🌼 Few flowering records in NM

Sources

USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile YUCCA.
iNaturalist, Yucca: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
Wikipedia, Yucca (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
N.M. Stat. Ann. § 12-3-4: New Mexico state flower.
New Mexico: New Mexico state endangered plant species (19.21.2.9 NMAC).
New Mexico: New Mexico Noxious Weed List (NM Department of Agriculture, updated June 2020).
USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
Photo: Alex Abair via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.