Yucca baccata (Datil Yucca or Banana Yucca) is a common species of yucca native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico, from southeastern California north to Utah, east to western Texas and south to Sonora and Chihuahua. In California it is found primarily in northeastern San Bernardino County. It gets its name from its banana-shaped fruit. Banana Yucca is closely related to the Mojave Yucca (Y. schidigera), with which it is interspersed where their ranges overlap; hybrids between them occur. It is also related to Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) and is found primarily in Joshua Tree Woodland in California.

Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) is an iconic symbol of California’s deserts, found in the Mojave Desert and parts of Utah. This tree-like monocot, related to lilies and palms, grows at elevations from 1,600 to 6,600 feet, occasionally reaching 11,000 feet. Its stiff, dagger-like leaves and clusters of greenish-white flowers give it a striking appearance.

Joshua trees rely entirely on the tiny Tegeticula moth for pollination. The moth lays its eggs in the flowers, and the caterpillars feed on some of the seeds, ensuring mutual survival. These trees also provide nesting sites for around 25 bird species and are the host plant for the Yucca Giant-Skipper butterfly.

Due to its slow growth and specific habitat needs, Joshua tree is rarely used in residential gardens. However, it can serve as a dramatic, sculptural feature in large desert or semi-desert landscapes. When transplanted, it requires careful watering to prevent rot.

For those in appropriate climates, the Joshua tree is a low-maintenance, drought-adapted choice that supports native wildlife.

Mojave Yucca is a species in the Agaveceae (Agave) family that is native to southern California. It grows in coastal sage scrub near the coast, in mountain chaparral, and in desert transition areas at elevations from sea level to 8,200 feet. Like others in this family it is a monocot, so the leaves have parallel veins. The leaves emerge from a central rosette, are succulent and quite stiff, with sharp terminal spines and long, tough fibers. Some of these fibers are typically visible along the edge of the leaves. Native people processed the leaves and used the fibers for cordage. In spring the plant produces a flower stalk 12-18 inches in height covered with white or cream colored flowers. The flower is pollinated by only a single species of Yucca Moth, and many of the flowers go unpollinated. The fruit is a large capsule holding dozens of black, wedge-shaped seeds. It reproduces only by seed, not by offsets as other Agaves do. Unlike most other members of this family, Mohave Yucca does not die after blooming, a trait it shares with Joshua Tree (Yucca Brevifolia). For this reason, it tends to grow taller with age, starting at ground level as a young plant and eventually reaching 10ft. or more. Older plants are usually branched and each branch carrying a leaf rosette. Areas that support older specimens have not been disturbed or burned for many years.