What is a Joshua tree?

Joshua tree is the common name of Yucca brevifolia, a plant species from the Agavaceae family that presents evergreen dagger-shaped leaves and a ridged brown bark. The Joshua tree grows mostly in the Mojave Desert area.

The Joshua tree has two main subspecies: Yucca brevifolia brevifolia, which is the largest version of this plant and usually grows in the southern and western parts of the Mojave Desert, and Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana, a smaller plant found in the eastern parts of the same desert. The Joshua tree reaches heights of up to 30 feet and produces white, bell-shaped flowers. The tree's leaves are sharp and not very flexible, and they are usually clustered in rosette-like structures.