Yucca brevifolia

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri May 18, 2007 8:45 am

here is a pic of one of my y. brevifolia's branching.

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Fri May 18, 2007 12:05 pm

Looking good Aaron. I forgot how old you said that one was?

Regards,
Jay

Josef · Post by **Josef** » Sat May 19, 2007 3:22 am

Hi Aaron
Super plant,very nice.What is old ?
Josef
Czech

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat May 19, 2007 7:54 am

Grown from seed in 1998 so about 9 years old and is over 31 inches high

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun May 20, 2007 12:37 pm

That's one healthy looking yucca, nice tight branching.
Wonder how long the branches will get, sure looks healthy.
Is that purple plant behind it a purple loosestrife?
Nice color combo.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Mon May 21, 2007 11:30 am

Bieng the dwarf form, they may only get about 8-10 feet high.

The purple plant in the back ground is a wild form of rockcress. It grows wild in the desert here.

Thanks for the complement on the color combo Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon May 21, 2007 12:17 pm

MY rockcress NEVER looked that good on its best day. I absolutely love the look of yours.
Nice that the colour doesn't look washed out (as mine did).

Please take some more pics as that yucca branches out. Very nice specimen.
Barb

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Mon May 21, 2007 9:13 pm

Awesome looking yucca.
I have to see if it would make here and if it does I'll have to pick one up.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 11:46 am

Thanks for the nice replys.

Here is a pic from earlier this month.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 1:02 pm

Aaron,
Is that two branches? or a third coming out the back?
That's a lot of growth in a short span.

Great art on the wall!

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:31 pm

Thanks Barb

Unfortunately, it is just the 2 branches

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 5:39 pm

Aaron,
Trunking is wonderful.
Branching is something I never expect to see (in my lifetime)

Thanks for the pics.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Aug 19, 2008 9:02 pm

Barb
I bet you will see your little rostratas trunk and maybe even branch in your life time.

I have grown almost all of my yuccas from seed, and they grow much faster than I thought they would. It takes about three to five years for them to start growing a trunk, but after that they realy take off.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 9:40 am

Wow, that's encouraging!
Thanks.
Barb

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 10:10 am

What's encouraging? ... that you're going to live 3 to five years

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 2:57 pm

Barrie, that they'll branch so soon.

Barb

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Wed Aug 20, 2008 3:09 pm

Maybe, Barrie, maybe

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 6:02 am

Here is a nice one from Reno when I was down there the other week.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:21 am

Nice one! ... and it does get cold in Reno.

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 10:49 am

That's a beauty, Aaron.
It likely gets some protection in winter from the brick wall.

Bring anything back?

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 4:13 pm

Barb, I don't think they need any winter protection in Reno. Reno is a zone 7 and there many large brevifolias in the open around that town.

Barb, even here I don't give my larger ones any protection

If it drops down below -25 C I might put a blanket over the crown for the night.

I did see a few I wanted to dig up and bring home, but there was to many people watching me like a hawk. I think I stood out like a sore thumb. A six and half foot tall guy taking pictures of everything odd is easy to spot.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Sep 05, 2008 5:39 pm

Of course, Aaron, I should've known that Reno was likely a zone 7.

A six and half foot tall guy taking pictures

Maybe they saw the shovel laying at your feet

Thanks for posting that great pic.
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:49 pm

lucky1 wrote:Maybe they saw the shovel laying at your feet

Barb

I bet you are right, I thought if I used the shovel as a crutch and limped no one would notice.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 1:55 pm

Ha ha, Aaron.

It really bugs me that many years ago I went to Reno (also Vegas) and all I did was hit the casinos.
Truly a waste of time/effort/money.

I could've been out there with MY little shovel.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:08 pm

That cracks me up, I normaly do carry a shovel with me just incase someone gives me a freebee.

I should have went with you, I would have had more fun. Gambling and a little drink is ok, but I would have perferred to gone out and seen the local nurseries and gardens, but the co-workers I was with would not have gone for that.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Sep 06, 2008 7:13 pm

Yup, my friends are like that, too, Aaron.
Not a green thumb among 'em, and they couldn't care less about nurseries or plants.

Majority ruled on that trip.
Never again...
Barb

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 9:20 am

We have signs posted in public parks etc that announce "No removal of plant material without permission".

Cheers, Barrie.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 10:20 am

Understandable in urban areas, Barrie.

But in rural areas of BC, it's common for folks to take their shovels out into Crown lands--especially on powerline rights-of-way--and help themselves to seedlings such as fir, spruce and cedar for landscaping use. Even Christmas tree seekers can obtain permits to mass-harvest for resale.

Benefits are two-fold: trees wouldn't be allowed to mature under powerlines and the real benefit for me was finding trees that were suitable for my elevation. I've never seen potted fir, spruce and cedar for sale at nurseries.

I know what you're getting at, though.
Yuccas from an ecologically-sensitive area like a desert would be different.

Barb

Okanagan desert-palms · Sun Sep 07, 2008 7:14 pm

Aaron thanks for sharing that pic of a very mature Joshua tree. Reno and area and the Okanagan valley are very similar desert climates and plant zones. I would think they would be easy to naturalize here as well as Idaho . I will be focussing on Joshua`s and Y.rostratas for bullet proof yuccas to grow here. How old do you figure that Joshua is in the pic fro Reno Aaron?.

John

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:09 pm

DesertZone wrote:Here is a nice one from Reno when I was down there the other week.

Awesome find Aaron. Maybe in 30 years mine will be that big.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:10 pm

There should be a fair number of Yucca species that would be fine in at least the southern Okanagan region. As far as their ability to "naturalize", wouldn't they require certain moth species to pollenate them?

Cheers, Barrie.

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Sun Sep 07, 2008 11:15 pm

Barrie wrote:There should be a fair number of Yucca species that would be fine in at least the southern Okanagan region. As far as their ability to "naturalize", wouldn't they require certain moth species to pollenate them?

Cheers, Barrie.

Well, there's the yucca moth that hangs around good ol S. Alberta. Don't think it would pollinate a Joshua? I dunno maybe it can?

http://www.pnr-rpn.ec.gc.ca/nature/ends ... 36.en.html

Regards,
Jay

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 9:40 am

I have had ants pollonate my yuccas a few times and yes the seeds sprouted.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:01 am

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:Aaron thanks for sharing that pic of a very mature Joshua tree. Reno and area and the Okanagan valley are very similar desert climates and plant zones. I would think they would be easy to naturalize here as well as Idaho . I will be focussing on Joshua`s and Y.rostratas for bullet proof yuccas to grow here. How old do you figure that Joshua is in the pic fro Reno Aaron?.

John

Hi John,
I think the one in the pic was removed from the wild due to development (just a guess), but I know they grow fast if nursery grown. So I would say maybe 25-30years old if home grown?
My friend has one he got with a permit. It was about 3 and a half tall, that same plant 6 years later is about 7 feet tall? Some don't do much, but other shout for the sky.

There is one in southern NV, when I first saw it back in 1993 it was about 3 foot tall. When I finaly got back down there (2003?) and went through that same small town, I was driving and telling my parents about this cool little joshua. Well I could not belive my eyes when I seen it again. It was about 12 feet tall and huge! I told my parents that "someone must be giving it some water".

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Thu Sep 11, 2008 10:17 pm

DesertZone wrote:I have had ants pollonate my yuccas a few times and yes the seeds sprouted.

Ants you say? ... good, we've got plenty of them here on Vancouver Island.

Cheers, Barrie.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 8:56 am

Haven't posted on this thread yet. First off, those are some nice brevifolias. I lost my last one this past winter... I think they become more sensitive to wet when they start to trunk. At least that's my theory!
Nest, about Yucca pollination. No, the Joshua tree should not be able to produce seeds without the 'correct' species of Yucca moth. It was previously believed that there were 1 or 2 species, but recent phylogenetic evidence suggests that there are many different species of mot, and a lot fo them are species specific. I can't seem to find the article otherwise I'd post a link, suffice to say that unless the Yucca is planted widely as an ornamental (i.e. continuous from the native range) then it is unlikey to produce seed outside the native range.
Interesting about the ants... Which species did they pollinate and do you have moths in your area? I ask because thy are small and seem to work in mysterious ways!

Thanks again for sharing the pics!

Okanagan desert-palms · Fri Sep 12, 2008 3:08 pm

Well that`s just great now I`ve got to start up a moth farm.

Aaron looks like I`ll have lots to look forward to with the Joshua`s speed of growth you`ve observed. I`ll post some pics of my three year olds.

John

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:04 pm

Paul Ont wrote:Haven't posted on this thread yet. First off, those are some nice brevifolias. I lost my last one this past winter... I think they become more sensitive to wet when they start to trunk. At least that's my theory!
Nest, about Yucca pollination. No, the Joshua tree should not be able to produce seeds without the 'correct' species of Yucca moth. It was previously believed that there were 1 or 2 species, but recent phylogenetic evidence suggests that there are many different species of mot, and a lot fo them are species specific. I can't seem to find the article otherwise I'd post a link, suffice to say that unless the Yucca is planted widely as an ornamental (i.e. continuous from the native range) then it is unlikey to produce seed outside the native range.
Interesting about the ants... Which species did they pollinate and do you have moths in your area? I ask because thy are small and seem to work in mysterious ways!

Thanks again for sharing the pics!

I know what you mean, I used to tell people that only a yucca moth can pollenate a yucca, I have read all the science papers. That say each yucca has its own sp of moth. Yes this might all be true, but the fact is I have had 3 yucca sp. pollenated by ants and yes the black seeds grew into little yuccas that are bigger now.
My harvester ants did not do it, it was my other ants that did it and I can't find out what sp. they are? They look just like fire-ants but they only have one nobe instead of 2 nobes. So I am still looking for more info. They are an ant that like to feed from aphids and I have noticed that the yucca may not have aghids on them, but they produce something that the ants like when they get thier flower stock. The flower stocks sometimes will be covered with these ants and only will these flowers stocks produce any seed pods with black seeds.
I all most decided to get ride of these aphid loving ants untill I seen that they produce yucca seeds.

These same ants drank something from my big barrel cactus I once had, they liked it and guarded it. This is something science has just began to study with the barrels (ferocactus) and ants.
The 3 yucca sp were y. glauca, y. baccata, y neomexicana, but those are the only yuccas I have had bloom in my yard? They only produce seed if the ants are all over them, most years the ant are not near all of them. I have some that are pollenated from this year. I will take a pic and post it later.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:11 pm

Okanagan desert-palms wrote:Well that`s just great now I`ve got to start up a moth farm. Aaron looks like I`ll have lots to look forward to with the Joshua`s speed of growth you`ve observed. I`ll post some pics of my three year olds.

John

John,
Has your 3 year old started growing a trunk yet? I have noticed that around in my garden it seems to take 3 to 5 years to start growing a trunk.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Sep 12, 2008 5:14 pm

I almost forgot, those ants one year also pollenated one of my y. filamentosas. So that is 4 yuccas sp.