Virginia Tech Dendrology

Torrey's yucca Agavaceae Yucca torreyi Shafer symbol: YUTO
Leaf: Evergreen, stiff and sword-like, numerous at the ends of branches, to 5 feet long, sharp pointed tip, edges fibrous, blue-green to yellow-green, with up-curled edges.
Flower: Bell-shaped, to 4 inches long, creamy white, crowded on long stalks on an upright branched cluster to 4 feet tall, appearing in spring to early summer.
Fruit: Green changing to dark brown capsule, 4 to 5 1/2 inches long, 1 1/2 inch in diameter, 6 celled, initially fleshy and becoming leathery, maturing late summer.
Bark: Gray-brown, initially covered with brown dead leaves, later irregularly rough and scaly to ridged.
Form: Picturesque, typically with a single, short trunk and a few spreading limbs, reaching up to 20 feet tall.
Looks like: banana yucca - Joshua tree - soaptree yucca - Mojave yucca

Additional Range Information: Yucca torreyi is native to North America. Range may be expanded by planting. Download the full-size PDF map.
External Links: USDA Plants Database
All material 2021 Virginia Tech Dept. of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation; Photos and text by: John Seiler, Edward Jensen, Alex Niemiera, and John Peterson; Silvics reprinted from Ag Handbook 654; range map source information