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Joshua tree
Yucca brevifolia
34.0758, -116.399
Field Notes
Description:
The Joshua tree is the largest of the yuccas. They can reach 40 ft. and have spiked leaves seen in pics 5 and 6 of a young plant. I found several specimens at different elevations and locations at the park.
Habitat:
Spotted at Joshua Tree National Park. Desert/thorn-scrub/open grassland habitat. Its range mostly coincides with the geographical reach of the Mojave Desert and occurs at elevations between 400 and 1,800 m (1,300 and 5,900 ft).
Notes:
Fun fact: Joshua trees (and most other yuccas) rely on the female pronuba Moth (Tegeticula) for pollination. No other animal visiting the blooms transfers the pollen from one flower to another. In fact, the female yucca moth has evolved special organs to collect and distribute the pollen onto the surface of the flower. She lays her eggs in the flowers' ovaries, and when the larvae hatch, they feed on the yucca seeds.
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