Yucca Trees

Yucca Trees are in the Agave family, and grow either low on the ground or higher up with a trunk.  They are hardy plants from the southwestern and southeastern United States, and low maintenance plants once established.  Because of their distinctive symmetrical look and profile, they make ideal specimen trees for focal points in a garden or on a patio.

Probably the most well known yucca tree variety is the 'Joshua Tree' (Yucca Brevifolia), at home in the Southern California desert and Joshua Tree National Park.  Other more common varieties are Yucca Rostrata ('Big Bend Yucca'), from both sides of the Texas/Mexico Border, and 'Spanish Bayonet' (Yucca Aloifolia), which grow from the southeastern United States down to the Mexico Cariibean coast.

Mature Yucca Rostrata (Big Bend Yucca)

Younger Yucca Rostrata

Yucca Giganteum

Yucca Aloifolia (Spanish Bayonet)

Manzanita Trees and Shrubs

Manzanitas are a Native California genus that is a low water plant.  The varieties of the plant vary from trees to flowering shrubs.  Some varieties of manzanitas grow as a low shrub and makes good ground cover.

Manzanita Densiflora is a shrub from with attractive flowers.

Manzanitas 'Dr. Hurd' is a San Francisco Bay Area tree form cultivar that has 

Oval green leaves and attractive reddish bark.  

Another Bay Area cultivar, 'Myrtle Wolf' was developed and released by the University of California Botanical Garden in Berkeley, California.

Agave Plants