Yucca Brevifolia Planting Zones
An extremely slow-growing treelike shrub of the Mojave Desert, the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) eventually reaches 20 to 30 feet tall after at least 100 years. A wide array of birds native to the American Southwest use the plant for nesting. Joshua trees can be grown in garden landscapes as long as the climate, soil and rainfall regimes match their native growing conditions. It's difficult to grow in average garden settings as the soils are too wet or over-fertilized. Does this Spark an idea?
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Winter Hardiness
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Since Joshua tree's natural growing range in the Southwest is in the higher elevations of the desert, it endures cold winters. At elevations between 1,300 and 5,500 feet, temperatures dip down anywhere from 35 to minus 5 degrees Fahrenheit. A Joshua tree potentially can survive the winters in U.S. Department of Agriculture Plant Hardiness Zones 6b through 10a.
Climate Zones
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The tremendous variations in elevation, soil, temperature and rainfall across the American West makes it difficult to apply the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone designations. Instead, the Sunset Climate Zones -- a 24-zone climate map created by "Sunset Magazine (see Resources) -- are more appropriately used. Joshua tree is suitable to grow in Sunset Zones 7, 9 through 16 and 18 through 23.
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The Need for Heat
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For plants to flourish, Joshua trees need a long, hot and dry summer. The summer air cannot be too humid. Grow Joshua tree in regions where more than 60 days of temperatures above 85 degrees Farhenheit occur in summertime. This correlates to the American Horticultural Society's Heat-Zone designation of Zones 12 to 7 (see Resources). This need for intense summer heat limits it ability to grow at too high of elevations or too far north in the U.S.
Gardening Insight
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If the appropriate winter and summer temperature regimes exist in your region, and the summer is not plagued with rain, a Joshua tree can be planted to prosper in a rock or desert garden. However, the landscape must provide a well-drained gritty or sandy soil that is not fertilized. Soil pH may range from mildly acidic to mildly alkaline -- a range of 6.0 to 8.0. Always plant Joshua tree in a full-sun location, where it never is shaded by nearby buildings or trees.
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References
Resources
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