Hardiness zones
Sunset 7-24
USDA 6  - 11

Landscape Use: Xeric and desert landscape design themes, accent, focal point

Form & Character: Arborescent, stiff and upright, dry

Growth Habit: Woody and succulent, often branched and arborescent, occasionally to 30' in height. Soap tree yucca is rhizomatous.

Foliage/Texture: Narrow, linear gray to light green leaves to 4', often shorter, finely serrate, and filamentaceous with often white margins, Leaves grow in variably loose to densely crowded clumps in a tuft at the top of the stem, medium fine texture

Flowers & Fruits: White flowers sometimes tinged with either green or pink on numerous, striking elongated spikes. Winged seeds on 3" long fruit.

Seasonal Color: Flowers in late spring to early summer (which is May in Phoenix).

Temperature: Tolerant

Light: Full sun

Soil: Prefers well drained, alkaline soils

Watering: Apply infrequently water during summer. This yucca will show a strong positive growth response to urban irrigation.

Pruning: Typically none except to remove dead foliage (some times skinned like a palm).

Propagation: Difficult and variable by seed

Disease and pests: None of note as long as the soil is well drained.

Additional comments: As far as yuccas go, soap tree yucca is one of largest, most fine textured yuccas and should be reserved for use only in large dry landscape settings. It's roots are harvested, dried, and processed for use as a soaping agent or as a home remedy for alleviation of arthritic pain as a tea. Arizona protected plant. Yucca elata ssp. utahensis is small typically forming a basal clump.