Galapagos Species Database

The Galapagos Species Database shares the information about the species from our Natural History Collections.

Yucca aloifolia L.

yuca, bayoneta española, spanish bayonet, aloe yucca

Shrubby plant, trunk up to 1 m, stem simple or branched. Leaves 45-75 x 6-7 cm, erect, rigid, apex strongly pungent, dark mossy-green. Margins denticulate or entire. Flowers in large panicles, with usually ascending branches, cream tinged purple. Perianth 5-7.5 cm in diameter, segments 40-60 mm. Fruit fleshy. 7.5-10 cm, black-purple. (WFO, 2022)

Taxonomy

Domain
Eukaryota

Kingdom
Plantae

Phylum
Magnoliophyta

Class
Liliopsida (= Monocotyledoneae)

Order
Liliales

Family
Agavaceae

Genus
Yucca

Species
aloifolia

Taxon category: Accepted

Syn.: Yucca aloifolia var. yucatana (Engelm.) Trel.

Origin: Introduced - established

Introduction

Year of first record: 2003

Mode of introduction: Intentional

Introduction Pathway: Intentional

Subpathway: Agriculture/Horticulture

Introduced status: Human dependent

Invasive status: Unlikely to become invasive

Distribution

Map of specimen collection localities or observation records for this species in our collections database.

Distribution: Its native range is SE. Texas to SE. U.S.A., Bermuda, Central & S. Mexico. ( POWO, 2022)

References

  • Tropicos.org. (2017) Database of Missouri Botanical Garden. Tropicos.org. Missouri Botanical Garden. 06 Oct 2017 <http://www.tropicos.org
  • Guézou, A. Trueman, M., Buddenhagen, E., Chamorro, S., Guerrero, A.M., Pozo, P., Atkinson, R. (2010) An extensive Alien Plan Inventory from the Inhabited Areas of Galapagos Plos One/ www.plosone.org. Volume 5/ Issue 4/e10276

You are welcome to download and use the information found in this page, acknowledging its source.

This page should be cited as follows:

"Galapagos Species Database, Yucca aloifolia", dataZone. Charles Darwin Foundation, https://datazone.darwinfoundation.org/en/checklist/?species=1965. Accessed 19 June 2025.