The Joshua Tree, the largest of the yuccas, grows only in the Mojave Desert. Natural stands of this picturesque, spike-leafed evergreen occur nowhere else in the world. Its height varies from 15-40 feet with a diameter of 1-3 feet.
The name Joshua Tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century. The tree’s unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.
Joshua Trees (and most other yuccas) rely on the female Yucca Moth for pollination. No other animal visiting the blooms transfers the pollen from one flower to another.
The spiny leaf iis turned upwards in hopes it will catch any moisture in the air. Then it stores the water in the limbs and trunk. The Joshua Tree often grows in groups called groves and has a lifespan of about 200 years.