If you are not familiar with the desert, you may not yet distinguish the Joshua tree (Yucca brevifolia) and the Mojave Yucca (Yucca schidigera). The Joshua tree is typically multi-branched, though not always. The Mojave yucca forms a trunk that sometimes branches. Here is the foolproof distinction: the Mojave yucca always has splinter-like threads on the edges of its spine-tipped leaves- a signature you can count on.
The Mojave yucca- like all yuccas- is a fiber producing plant, prized by Indians of the region. They made rope, sandals, mats, clothing, and baskets by soaking the leaves and pounding away the softer plant tissue.
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Cactus yucca scrub habitat