Hesperoyucca Species, Newberry's Yucca

Per Jan Emming:
Hesperoyucca newberryi is a fascinating and almost-unknown plant found only in the Grand Canyon of Arizona. It is ...Read Moreendemic to Mohave and Coconino Counties and is found primarily in the middle and upper elevational reaches of the canyon on sandstone and limestone substrates. Like the other two Hesperoyucca species (H. whipplei of California, and H. peninsularis of Baja, Mexico) it is monocarpic and flowers only once before setting seed and dying. All other yuccas are perennials that live for decades or even centuries, and flower multiple times. This monocarpic habit allies the Hesperoyuccas more closely with agaves in terms of lifestyle than with yuccas, although the flower spikes are clearly more like yuccas than agaves.