Yucca madrensis is an uncommon species in the US, restricted to several mountain ranges in southeast Arizona, though is more common in the adjoining Mexican states of Chihuahua and Sonora. Plants are most readily observed in Chiricahua National Monument. The stiff leaves are colored greyish green, bright green or yellowish green, and have entire, (usually) hairless margins. Leaves are up to 30 inches long and 2 inches across, and are flat or slightly folded up along the axis. Plants form a stout, unbranched stem; mature plants may have several stems. The lower half to quarter of the inflorescence is within the leaf rosette; in some similar species all the flowers are held above the leaves.
Scientific name:
Yucca madrensis
Common name:
Sierra Madre yucca
Range:
Southeast Arizona, above 4,500 feet
Form:
Large rosettes atop unbranched stems up to 8 feet tall
Habitat:
Hillsides, pine-oak forest
Flowers:
White, on short stalks, about half projecting above the leaves; appearing in summer, after rainfall
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