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Plant Database

Search for native plants by scientific name, common name or family. If you are not sure what you are looking for, try the Combination Search or our Recommended Species lists.

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Yucca ×schottii

Yucca ×schottii Engelm. (pro sp.)

Schott's Yucca, Arizona-soapwort

Agavaceae (Century-Plant Family)

Synonym(s): Yucca arizonica, Yucca baccata var. brevifolia, Yucca brevifolia, Yucca macrocarpa, Yucca puberula, Yucca thornberi, Yucca treleasei

USDA Symbol: YUSC

USDA Native Status: L48 (N)

This species is a large, handsome, often-cultivated yucca. It is branched as high as 6 ft. above the base and has a total height of up to 17 ft. Leaves, about 2 ft. long, are borne up to the base of the flowering stem. Large, whitish flowers appear in a large cluster atop the short flowering stem. Fruit is fleshy, becoming pendent.

Native habitat extends to a higher altitude than other tree yuccas. It is named for Arthur Carl Victor Schott (1814-75), a German-born naturalist with the United States and Mexican Boundary Survey, who discovered this species in 1855.

Natural hybrid of Yucca baccata and Y. elata.

 

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Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Root Type: Fibrous
Leaf Retention: Evergreen
Leaf Complexity: Simple
Leaf Shape: Lanceolate
Leaf Venation: Parallel
Leaf Pubescence: Glabrous
Leaf Margin: Entire
Leaf Apex: Acuminate
Leaf Base: Truncate
Leaf Texture: Smooth
Breeding System: Flowers Bisexual
Fruit Type: Capsule
Size Notes: Up to about 17 feet tall.
Leaf: blue-green or gray-green
Flower: Flower to 5 cm long. Sepals 3. Petals 3 broader than sepals. Stamens 6 shorter than petals. Ovary with 3 stigmas.
Fruit: Black seeds

Bloom Information

Bloom Color: White
Bloom Time: Jul , Aug , Sep

Distribution

USA: AZ , NM
Native Distribution: S.w. NM, s.e. AZ & n. Mex.
Native Habitat: Hillsides & canyons; 4000 to 7000 ft.

Growing Conditions

Light Requirement: Sun
Soil Moisture: Dry
Soil Description: Rocky soils.
Conditions Comments: The Hoary Yucca is a handsome species often collected for ornamentation.

Benefit

Conspicuous Flowers: yes
Deer Resistant: High

Propagation

Description: Yuccas will germinate promptly from fresh seed held over winter. Seeds germinate best in 60-70 degree temperatures. Yuccas may also be grown from rhizomes, stem cuttings, or by digging offsets from the side of established plants. Transplant into a well
Seed Collection: Gather capsules as they begin to dry but before they split. Allow to dry, then crush to remove seeds. Overwinter, keep seeds in moist sand in the refrigerator. For longer storage periods, keep in sealed, refrigerated containers.
Commercially Avail: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is on display at the following locations:

Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center - Austin, TX

Web Reference

Webref 38 - Flora of North America (2019) Missouri Botanical Garden, St. Louis, MO & Harvard University Herbaria, Cambridge, MA.
Webref 23 - Southwest Environmental Information Network (2009) SEINet - Arizona Chapter

Additional resources

USDA: Find Yucca schottii in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Yucca schottii in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Yucca schottii

Metadata

Record Modified: 2023-06-12
Research By: LAL, JSC

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