YUCCA

(genus Yucca), any of about 40 species of succulent plants of the lily family Agavaceae, native to southern North America. Most species of yucca are stemless, with a rosette of stiff, sword-shaped leaves at the base and clusters of waxy white flowers. The Joshua tree (Y. brevifolia) has a stem more than 10 m (33 feet) high. Spanish bayonet (Y. aloifolia), Spanish dagger (Y. gloriosa), and Adam's needle, or bear grass (Y. filamentosa), are commonly cultivated as ornamentals for their unusual appearance and attractive flower clusters.