Yucca are plants of the new world. Taxonomically the genus is grouped with other lily relatives that in the past were placed in family Liliaceae, then Amaryllidaceae and later in the Agavaceae, which currently also includes Agave, Beschorneria, Furcraea, Hesperaloe, Hesperoyucca and Polianthes. Related plants such Sanseveria, Dracaea and Cordyline, once inclued in Agavaceae, are now in their own family the Dracaenaceae as are Phormium (Phormiaceae) and Doryanthes (Doryanthaceae). Nolina (including Beaucarnea), Calibanus, Dasylirion and Nolina are now put in the Noliniaceae. We have information on many of these plants on our Agave Relatives Page and Agave Page.

The name Yucca, attributed to Linnaeas is derived from a Carib Indian name for the unrelated cassava (Manihot esculenta) in the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae). Yucca species are varied in growth habit from trunkless plants growing at ground level to large tree-like plants. The flowers are mostly panicles of large white flowers that are commonly fragrant at night and pollinated by moths. There are 40 or more species in the genus with a distribution range from the Canadian prairies through much of the US south through Mexico, Guatamala and the Caribbean. The center of this distribution with the high concentration of species is central Mexico.

Yucca currently being grown at San Marcos Growers

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