our lord's candle
Yucca whipplei
Family: Liliaceae.
Type: Perennial stemless shrub.
Leaves: Leaves grow as a rosette (in a circular fashion from a single base). Leaves are stiff and dagger-like, with a sharp point and teeth on the margins.
Fruit & Flower: Inflorescences grow very tall, sometimes as high as six meters, and can take a full year to grow. Many flowers bloom on each inflorescence. After blooming, the nutrients in the inflorescence will be retranslocated back into the plant, the inflorescence will die back, and a new inflorescence will be generated in a later year.
Miscellaneous: There are a variety of yuccas in California, particularly in southern California. They are found in desert chaparral, in scrub, and in some woodland areas. The woodlands in question are Joshua tree woodlands; Joshua trees are yuccas, and shrub-like yuccas such as this will often grow in association with Joshua trees.