Yucca brevifolias ( Joshua Trees )

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Tue Oct 28, 2008 6:41 pm

Looking good Barrie,after looking at D.zones joshuas I would say those will be monsters in a few short years!very cool!

Wes North Van · Post by **Wes North Van** » Mon Nov 10, 2008 5:50 pm

Barrie, What do you think about this yucca as far as being a long term one here?

I now have quite a few differnet yuccas but non e of these. I just felt it was a gamble with our wet winters.

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Tue Nov 11, 2008 3:14 pm

Wes,
It should be hardy enough in the favored areas of our region. Biggest challenge is as you've said, winter rains. Well sited in absolute perfect drainage will make the difference. Any cold wet soil on the roots for more than a day or two could spell disaster. Small plants are more intollerant and less hardy. It'll be some time before these are ready to plant out.

Cheers, Barrie.

Ezekiel93 · Post by **Ezekiel93** » Fri Nov 14, 2008 1:12 pm

Hi all

Nice pics

I don't know if you remember me DesertZone. I'm the French guy from Paris, who is also a yucca enthusiat.
Well, I do grow tons of palms and other winter hard cacti but the Yucca genera is one of my favorites.

I was lookin' for some Y. brevifolia, and thus I asked for information because It is very difficult to find this species in France (as well as many other yucca species)

Since then, I do find some seedlings (3 yo), bought in Germany (Germans have a tons of marvellous plants, as well as Dutch) and I also grew my own seedling thanks to a seed provider from... NewMexico (I guess you all know what I am talking about) who ship internationnally.

I hope I did not make too many mistakes in English.

If people here have some yucca pics, feel free to post it!

Greetings from Paris, France
zone 8 usda

Sébastien

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sun Nov 16, 2008 2:47 pm

If kept away from rain under eaves, bet they'd do well on the West Coast.

Hi Sebastien,
Unfortunately, RPS doesn't list y.brevifolia for sale.

Here's my favorite yucca pic...mature flowering yucca rostrata.

Barb

Ezekiel93 · Post by **Ezekiel93** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 11:40 am

Hi Barb

Finding some brevifolia was... such a pain!
You know, contrary to South of France (like the French Riviera which is a zone 9usda, it even exist some usda zone 10 in continental France! in Corsica and 'Menton' town, or 'Bormes Les Mimosas' Village for instance) Paris is very... cold, rainy, and grey. It's like comparing Miami and Detroit, for US members. Or Ottowa with... Well, I don't find any hot place in Canada!

I guess you'll understand what I mean.
Planting exotics in the garden is not common here. Which is completely different in the French Rivieria where gardeners have a wonderful climate for exotics, and a lot of providers (nurseries) having access to a large amount of plants.

One of the greatest expert in Yucca is German, he's called Fritz Horschtatter. He sells agavacea seeds and plants from his own legal collects.

Otherwise, some European nurseries have sometimes seedlings.

I also have a mature Yucca rostrata (around 1,50 meters)

He never bloomed until now but it's at home since only 2 years. Maybe next year...

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Mon Nov 17, 2008 12:36 pm

Sebastien,

It's a pleasure to read about your region.

Or Ottowa with... Well, I don't find any hot place in Canada!

I know what you mean BUT the Okanagan in British Columbia is semi-arid and gets very very hot in the summer.
On rare occasions, my back yard has been 42 C, made even hotter by strong winds.

It's too bad our winters can still give us -15 or -20 C (rare, but it happens).

I have Yucca filamentosa growing outdoors year round, and they flower beautifully each year.
My favourite Yucca is the rostrata, gorgeous blue.

Let's see some of your plants!

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Tue Nov 18, 2008 5:06 am

Hi Sébastien.
Glad you have found a source.

Large y. brevifolias are even hard to find here in the us. Seeds or small plants are about the best most people can get here, lucky they grow fairly fast.

Ezekiel93 · Post by **Ezekiel93** » Thu Nov 20, 2008 3:19 pm

Hi all!

I'll make some pics when I find the occasion... the winter is coming and the night came very early...
I've got some Y. filamentosa. What is awesome with Yucca is that you can have a wonderful bloom even if the coolest area of the world (by having a specie like filamentosa or Y. glauca). Flowers are eatable, too.

Aaron, I hope you're doing well. Actually, the only shop I know which sells mature Y. brevifolia is Dutch; and I think most people know its name: Tropical Center. However, the prices are complety crazy. And we could ask to ourselves if it really is a good thing to dig up old Yucca from the Wild...
Sowing keeps being the better choice for rare plants, we can save species that way.

I do not have any recent pic, so I'll send you some pics from my last vacations South of France, in a private garden in La-Londe-Les Maures, a small town bording the Mediterannean Sea.

Looks like being in Texas or Mexico!

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/2211/cimg0328ov9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img156/cimg0328ov9.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img156.imageshack.us/img156/cimg ... 1/w640.png" border="0"></a>

<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/6945/cimg0173dc9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img20/cimg0173dc9.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/cimg01 ... 1/w640.png" border="0"></a>

That one! That one! It's a brevifolia!
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/5294/cimg0325nn3.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img509/cimg0325nn3.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/cimg ... 1/w640.png" border="0"></a>

woa some prickly pears
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/3061/cimg0176aa9.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img510/cimg0176aa9.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img510.imageshack.us/img510/cimg ... 1/w640.png" border="0"></a>

It's not over til it's over
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/9544/cimg0364tm6.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img149/cimg0364tm6.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img149.imageshack.us/img149/cimg ... 1/w640.png" border="0"></a>

so tall!
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/8514/cimg0349vj3.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img88/cimg0349vj3.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img88.imageshack.us/img88/cimg03 ... 1/w428.png" border="0"></a>

A small nursery is attach to the garden, the owner is also import (now you understand why there are so many crazy plants)
<a href="http://imageshack.us"><img src="http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/729/cimg0358tu8.jpg" border="0" alt="Image Hosted by ImageShack.us"/></a> <a href="http://g.imageshack.us/img81/cimg0358tu8.jpg/1/"><img src="http://img81.imageshack.us/img81/cimg03 ... 1/w640.png" border="0"></a>

Actually that garden is also an exotic bird reserve, where you can see a lot of parrots and other stuff. But that's another story.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Nov 21, 2008 10:17 am

Those are beautiful pictures.
Presume you were on vacation?

Where do you keep your plants? Indoors?
Barb

Ezekiel93 · Post by **Ezekiel93** » Sat Nov 22, 2008 7:00 am

Hi!

Sure, holiday pics!

I would be soooooooo happy to live in a place with a climate like that! (it is a usda zone 9b, maybe 10a because) That garden is labelled "CCVS" which is the French label for National Collection of rare plants, dedicated to a botanic family (this label is for the Agavacea family). In other words, there the place in France where you can find the largest number of species in one place (all outdoors!)
Problem is that it is located around 1000 kilometers from my home!

But I try to go there once a year, at last.
Moreover, there are many great palms (huge Trithrinax campestris, Jubaea chilensis) and also a vast number of Cycads and among them Encephalartos sp. grown outdoors!

Actually, my agavacea are mainly grown outdoors.
Problem is that our winters are very wet, and thus the possibility to rot is higher than in a dry zone.

I see some people here like Aaron who is in a cold zone, with tough winter, but the climate seems to be relatively dry, which helps a lot to keep some species that can tolerate high frost but just a little amount of water. That is something to keep in mind for every exotic we try to plant in a "northern" climate, all around the World. Plants have a resistance to water, and anoter resistance to temperature. Taking the example of Opuntiads, some are hardy to 5°F for example but very limited concerning humidity resistance. Other opuntiads can tolerate only 18°F but they tolerate much more humidity before they rot.

the only plants I keep indoors are young seedlings (1-2 years old) from my own sowings, but not the whole plants, some seedlings are put outside however I have some loses. Plus every "old" yucca that I buy in Germany (from exports), I kept those plants in a well drained pot to make them root as they arrive untrimmed. When the root system become large enough, I'll plant them outdoors (approx. 1 year after planting them in a pot) and are kept in a partially shaded position since full sun can kill them during that time. I got a large Y. carnerosana and 3 medium-sized Yucca thomsoniana indoors for the moment indoors, in a hot and dry condition to make them root.

I guess that's all,

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Nov 29, 2008 9:26 am

Hi Sébastien.
Those fotos are awesome

Does look like Texas!

Do you have any pics of your garden?

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:43 pm

Mid summer pics of my largest j-trees

Dwarf brevifolia

\

And Brevifolia-brevifolia

Okanagan desert-palms · Wed Jul 22, 2009 5:57 pm

Wow they sure have grown since you first posted the pics back in 2005. When do you think the larger one will branch out?

John

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:05 pm

I dont know, but I hope it is soon.

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Wed Jul 22, 2009 8:01 pm

Nice! Those are awesome.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:08 am

Great shots! Those are some nice trees!
Hey, if you ever get flowers, I'd love some pollen to try a few hybrids with some 'Eastern-Types' to get some good moisture resistant (and beautiful) plants! hmm, maybe a (recurvfolia x filata (filamentosa x elata)) x brevifolia would be a good plant... Anyway, keep it in mind!

Cheers,
Paul

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Thu Jul 23, 2009 5:46 pm

Sure if it can be sent.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 10:47 am

Updates
Dwarf brevifolia 38 inches

brevifolia 6ft 4in

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:17 am

Nice! Those are looking really good Aaron.

-Jay

BILL MA · Post by **BILL MA** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:20 am

Wow Aaron!

I don't ever write anything on the desert stuff, since I have no clue about it. Your Joshua Tree's have really grow since 2005 though. Looking good, I bet they are getting nice and hardened off now that the roots are dug in nicely.

Nice Work!

Bill

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Aug 16, 2009 11:26 am

BILL MA wrote:Wow Aaron!

I don't ever write anything on the desert stuff, since I have no clue about it. Your Joshua Tree's have really grow since 2005 though. Looking good, I bet they are getting nice and hardened off now that the roots are dug in nicely.

Nice Work!

Bill

Thanks!
They are very hardy and by far the fast growing yucca I have.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 5:43 pm

Very nice Aaron,I have not checked this thread in a while,they have really grown!

Barrie · Post by **Barrie** » Thu Oct 15, 2009 8:07 pm

I planted a seed grown one a week and a half ago. It's only about 6" tall.
First time for this one as I've never tried it before.

hardyjim · Post by **hardyjim** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 8:21 am

Good luck Barrie

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 05, 2010 5:57 pm

Happened last year too.

Can't see any aphids or anything else they could be after.
Anybody know what the attraction is?

Notice they're all "head down" in the leaf axis. or is it axises?

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:29 am

Was this plant inside during the winter? Sometimes spider-mites or mealy-bugs get on yuccas during the winter?

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Mar 06, 2010 8:42 am

Yes it was in the garage, Aaron.
Good point.

Probably fungus gnats then.

Good beetles...(pat, pat, pat) eat away, then come inside to the smorgasbord.

The H is really miffed about fungus gnats flying up his nose while he's eating breakfast

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 4:42 pm

My two best j-trees, winter 2010/09
Look just like they did last fall.

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:10 pm

Oh, Aaron, those are so very beautiful....(sound of my jaw hitting the floor!!!)
And look at that trunk diameter! wow.

That first picture with the frost on the bluish leaves with the desert backdrop is stunning.

Well done, lad.

Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 5:46 pm

Thanks!

Post by **Jay-Admin** » Fri Mar 26, 2010 7:01 pm

Yes very nice Aaron.

Paul Ont · Post by **Paul Ont** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 8:51 am

Amazing! I'm sooo jealous! I might just have to try brevifoia again...

I'm still expecting pollen if those beauties bloom!

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 9:05 am

Paul Ont wrote:I'm still expecting pollen if those beauties bloom!

No problem, if it ever blooms.

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 4:09 pm

Up dated 7-9-10\

lucky1 · Post by **lucky1** » Sat Jul 10, 2010 4:26 pm

That's a lot of growth already, Aaron.
Really responding to your nice weather
Barb

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:03 am

lucky1 wrote:That's a lot of growth already, Aaron.
Really responding to your nice weather
Barb

Yea.. our weather has warmed up to the 90's f. and the yuccas are loving it.

But they have some catch up to do.

Cowtown Palm Society · Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:12 am

Hi Aaron,

The brevifolias look super! Are those smaller ones cuttings from the larger (if this is possible), or are they from seed? Thanks for posting some updated pics!

Duncan

DesertZone · Post by **DesertZone** » Sun Jul 11, 2010 8:38 am

Cowtown Palm Society wrote:Hi Aaron,

The brevifolias look super! Are those smaller ones cuttings from the larger (if this is possible), or are they from seed? Thanks for posting some updated pics!

Duncan

Thanks,
They are all from seed. The one with 2 heads are suckers from a bigger one that died a couple of years ago.

TimMAz6 · Post by **TimMAz6** » Tue Jul 13, 2010 6:38 pm

awesome specimens from seed! Very cool to see how they grow over the years.

PalmsNorth.com

Yucca brevifolias ( Joshua Trees )

Joshua Trees

Joshua`s

What's up with beetles on my Joshua???