Dasylirion wheeleri

Common Names

Desert Spoon, Common Sotol, Spoon Flower, Wheeler's Sotol, Bear Grass, Spoon Yucca, Saw Yucca

Summary

Desert spoon is a slow- to moderate-growing evergreen shrub native to arid regions of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It forms a large, rounded rosette atop a short trunk, with slender blue-green leaves edged with sharp marginal spines and a serrated texture. A tall flowering stalk up to about 4–5 m bears thousands of small flowers, white in male plants and purple-pink in female plants, and the plant is dioecious.

Prefers full sun and well-drained soils in hot, dry climates; drought-tolerant once established with minimal watering; frost-sensitive and hardy in USDA zones 8–11; can be grown in ground or containers and propagated by seeds or offsets. Used as an ornamental in xeriscapes and landscape accents; leaf fibers woven into mats, baskets, and thatch; pith and flowering stalks used to produce sotol, a traditional beverage.

Lifecycle

Perennial

Height

3-6 feet

Spread

4-6 feet

Hardiness Zones

Zones 8-11

Sunlight Requirements

Ideally full sun; tolerates partial sun and partial shade.

Soil Type

Well-drained, sandy or rocky, lean mineral soil with neutral to alkaline pH

Soil Drainage

Well-drained

Soil pH

5.5-6.7, mildly acidic to mildly alkaline, neutral OK

Bloom Color

White

Bloom Time

Spring and Summer

Foliage Color

Blue-green to gray-green

Fall Foliage Color

Gray-green

Leaf Lifecycle

Evergreen

Growth Rate

Slow-growing, grows faster with some irrigation.

Seasons of Interest

Spring, Summer

Propagation Methods

Seeds, Cuttings, Division

Attracts Wildlife

Bees, other pollinators, birds