Mohave yucca
Yucca schidigera
Last reviewed: November 2026
Mohave yucca (Yucca schidigera) is a perennial shrub native to AZ, CA, NV. It blooms in March, April, and May. The flowers draw yucca moths.
Watering reminders and freeze alerts for Mohave yucca, free in the app.
Mohave yucca is toxic to dogs and cats.
Listed as toxic by the ASPCA (Yucca spp.) (opens in new tab) (last reviewed 2026-10-26). If your pet has been exposed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435 and your veterinarian's emergency line.
The Pollinator Patch App flags toxic plants so you can choose a native alternative that is not on the ASPCA toxic plant list.
Native swaps for a yard with pets
Mohave yucca is listed as toxic to dogs by the ASPCA (Yucca spp.). These natives fill a similar role in a planting and are not on the ASPCA toxic plant list for dogs or cats. Each plant's page carries its dated record.
Light
full sun
Water
low
Size
36"–180" H × 48"–96" W
Bloom
Mar, Apr, May
Native to
AZ, CA, NV
Pollinators
yucca moths
Before you buy
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This yucca is a stout, clumping succulent shrub with rigid, sharp-tipped leaves and a tall flower stalk of cream-white bell-shaped blooms in spring. It grows in dry desert habitat and can live for many decades.
Growing Mohave yucca
Grow Mohave yucca in full sun and low water. Mature plants reach 36 to 180 inches tall and spread 48 to 96 inches wide.
Wildlife value
Host plant for Yucca Moth.
It has an obligate pollination relationship with the yucca moth, whose larvae feed on some of the developing seeds while the moth is the plant's exclusive pollinator, a textbook example of a one-to-one host relationship.
Common questions
- How much sun does Mohave yucca need?
- Mohave yucca grows best in full sun conditions.
- When does Mohave yucca bloom?
- Mohave yucca blooms in March, April, and May.
- Where is Mohave yucca native?
- Mohave yucca (Yucca schidigera) is native to AZ, CA, NV, per vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists.
- Is Mohave yucca toxic to dogs?
- Yes. Mohave yucca is listed as toxic to dogs by the ASPCA (Yucca spp.) (aspca.org). If your pet has been exposed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- Is Mohave yucca toxic to cats?
- Yes. Mohave yucca is listed as toxic to cats by the ASPCA (Yucca spp.) (aspca.org). If your cat has been exposed, call the ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center at (888) 426-4435.
- What butterflies or moths does Mohave yucca host?
- Mohave yucca is a larval host plant for Yucca Moth.
Native range data from vouchered herbarium specimen records and regional native plant society lists. Pollinator and host plant associations compiled from GBIF, iNaturalist, and published ecological literature.
If something looks wrong
Common plant problems, and what to check first
These come up on almost any plant. Each guide lists the likely causes in the order they are worth ruling out, with one thing to check before you act on any of them, and links to the source it came from.
- It is dying right after planting
- Leaves turning yellow
- Wilting even though I watered it
- Brown crispy leaf tips
- Bugs on the plant
Pollinator Patch flags toxic plants like Mohave yucca and shows natives not flagged toxic to pets for your ecoregion instead.