FNPS Plant Database

Yucca aloifolia

Spanish bayonet, aloe yucca
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Shirley Denton, Suncoast Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS
  • Photo by: Ginny Stibolt, Ixia Chapter FNPS

Nomenclature

Common Name:

Spanish bayonet, aloe yucca

Synonym(s):

Genus species:

Yucca aloifolia

Family:

Agavaceae

Plant Specifics

Form:

Shrub

Size:

5–10 ft tall by 3–6 ft wide

Life Span:

Long-lived perennial

Flower Color:

white

Fruit Color:

green

Phenology:

Evergreen, primarily blooms in spring. Life span 50+ yrs. (Nelson 2003)

Noted For:

Showy Flowers, Showy Fruits, Interesting Foliage

Landscaping

Recommended Uses:

Specimen plant. Hedge--makes a good barrier.

Considerations:

Leaves have very sharp tips.

Availability:

Native Nurseries, Seed

Propagation:

Seed. Division though avoid those sharp leaves!

Light:

Full Sun, Part Sun

Moisture Tolerance:

Always Flooded---------------------------------Extremely Dry

□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□□■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■■□□□

Somewhat moist, no flooding -to- Very long very dry periods

Salt Water Flooding Tolerance:

Unknown

Salt Spray/Salty Soil Tolerance:

Moderate. Tolerant of salty wind and may get some salt spray

Soil or Other Substrate:

Sand

Soil pH:

Suitable to Grow In:

8A,8B,9A,9B,10A,10B,11

USDA zones are based on the average annual extreme minimum winter temperature.

Don't know your zone? Click here to search by zip code.

Vouchered In:

Distribution
Vouchered
Not vouchered
Selected
Click a county The county name will appear here.
No county distribution is available for this plant yet.
Starting…
Map coded by Melissa Fernandez-de Cespedes (Paynes Prairie Chapter)

Ecology

Wildlife:

Pollinators, Butterflies, Caterpillars, Hummingbirds

Provides food and cover for wildlife.Larval host plant for cofaqui giant skipper (Megathymus cofaqui) and yucca giant skipper (Megathymus yuccae) butterflies. Pollinated by yucca moths. Nectar plant for great southern white (Ascia monuste) and other butterflies.

Provides wildlife cover.

Native Habitats:

Wet flatwoods, sand dunes, disturbed sites

Natural Range in Florida:

Comments:

Ethnobotany:

The flowers can be served as a salad or cooked and the fruit is eaten in some cultures. Pioneers made rope and string from the fibrous leaves.

General Comments:

FNPS Plant Print

Citations:

Haehle, Robert G. and Joan Brookwell. (1999). Native Florida Plants. Gulf Publishing Company. Houston, TX.


Marr, D. L., J. Leebens-Mack, L. Elms, and O. Pellmyr. (2000). Pollen dispersal in Yucca filamentosa (Agavaceae): the paradox of self-pollination behavior by Tegeticula yuccasella (Prodoxidae). American journal of botany, 87(5), 670–677. ( https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10811791/. Accessed 2026.


Minno, Marc, and Maria Minno. (1999). Florida Butterfly Gardening: A Complete Guide to Attracting, Identifying, and Enjoying Butterflies. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Nelson, Gil. (2003). Florida's Best Landscape Plants: 200 Readily Available Species for Homeowners and Professionals. University Press of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Watkins, John, and Thomas Sheehan. (1975). Florida Landscape Plants, Native and Exotic. University Presses of Florida, Gainesville, FL.


Wunderlin, R. P., B. F. Hansen, A. R. Franck, and F. B. Essig. (1999+). Atlas of Florida Plants. ( https://florida.plantatlas.usf.edu/ ). [S. M. Landry and K. N. Campbell (application development), USF Water Institute.] Institute for Systematic Botany, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL.

Request an update