The unusual yet striking Joshua tree is an evergreen tree with stiff sword-like leaves clustered at the ends of the branches. Native to the Mojave Desert in the southwestern states of California, Utah, Arizona, and Nevada, it grows at elevations between 2,000-6,000 feet (400-1,800 m). The slow growing Joshua tree grows to a height of approximately 10 to 15 m and is hardy to USDA zone 7.
One of the more interesting characteristics of the Joshua tree is that the trunk is not woody rather it is composed of numerous fibers and is therefore lacking the growth rings that are found in most trees. As such it is impossible to determine the age of any given tree. The Joshua tree is very drought resistant and is a striking specimen when planted in a xeriscape garden or as a "forest" in a desert grassland landscape.
The large 1.5 inch bell-shaped greenish to creamy-white flowers are clustered on upright branches approximately 1 to 1.5 feet tall flowers bloom February to April and require a winter freeze and sufficient rainfall before the flowers will bloom. The flowers are pollinated by the yucca moth, which also lays its eggs inside the flowers. The Joshua tree prefers sandy well-drained dry soils and full sun.
Native Americans used the fibrous leaves to weave sandals, ropes, mats, and baskets. The flowers can be boiled and eaten as a vegetable and the seeds combined with other seeds and grains and made into bread.