Flower profile
Twisted-leaf yucca
Yucca rupicola
Twisted-leaf yucca is a wildflower that USDA PLANTS lists as native in the lower 48 states. In Texas it's most often seen in bloom in April–June.
*iNaturalist research-grade observations, as of October 17, 2026.
On our lists for: Texas
Quick look
Yucca rupicola is a plant in the family Asparagaceae, known as the twistleaf yucca, twisted-leaf yucca, Texas yucca or twisted-leaf Spanish-dagger. The species was described by George Heinrich Adolf Scheele in 1850. This is a small, acaulescent plant with distinctive twisted leaves. It is native Texas and northeastern Mexico.
- It belongs to the Asparagaceae family. iNaturalist
- USDA PLANTS describes it as an herb (forb) / a shrub with a perennial life cycle. USDA PLANTS
- USDA PLANTS lists it as native in the lower 48 states and records it in 1 states. USDA PLANTS
- NatureServe lists it as native to Texas. NatureServe
- In Texas, most iNaturalist sightings of it in flower come in April–June. iNaturalist
- iNaturalist has 9,517 research-grade sightings of it in Texas, ranking #59 among the 109 flowers on our Texas list. iNaturalist
Twisted-leaf yucca gift ideas
Handmade twisted-leaf yucca gifts from independent makers.
🌱 Sample spot. Handmade gift picks from independent shops will appear here once our shop partnership is approved. These cards are placeholders, not real products.
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Twisted-leaf yucca art print
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Twisted-leaf yucca greeting card
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Twisted-leaf yucca mug
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Twisted-leaf yucca earrings
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Twisted-leaf yucca embroidery pattern
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Twisted-leaf yucca sticker
When does it bloom?
In Texas, most flowering sightings come in April–June.
Conservation status
- Federal (U.S. ESA)
- Not listed No U.S. Endangered Species Act listing in the USFWS ECOS database. USFWS ECOS
- NatureServe global
- G5 Secure worldwide. NatureServe
- Texas
- Not listed Not on Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife. NatureServe: SNR, not yet ranked in Texas. 31 TAC 69.8
- Rare elsewhere
- No other U.S. state ranks it S1, S2, SH or SX.
Checked October 17, 2026. Rankings and lists can change, so follow the links for the latest.
Can you eat it?
None of the sources we checked (NC State Extension (no page for this plant), USDA PLANTS) say whether it's edible or poisonous for people.
ASPCA's entry “Yucca” (Yucca spp), which covers the whole genus, lists it as toxic to dogs, cats and horses. Signs include: Dogs, cats: Vomiting; Horses: liver disease… ASPCA
🌿 Never eat a wild plant unless you're certain of its ID; this isn't medical advice. Worried about a person? Call Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222. Worried about a pet? Call your vet.
Where does it grow?
USDA PLANTS records twisted-leaf yucca in 1 states.
recorded by USDA PLANTS on our state lists not recorded
See the full list of states
Texas.
Texas counties with USDA records: Bandera, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Burnet, Comal, Gillespie, Hays, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lampasas, Llano, Mason, McCulloch, McLennan, Mills, San Saba, Schleicher, Sutton, Tarrant, Travis, Uvalde, Williamson.
More Texas flowers
Sources
- USDA, NRCS. PLANTS Database, profile YURU.
- iNaturalist, Yucca rupicola: taxonomy, research-grade observation counts and “Flowering” annotations, retrieved October 17, 2026.
- Wikipedia, Yucca rupicola (lead quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0).
- Texas: Texas endangered and threatened plants (31 Tex. Admin. Code § 69.8), as listed by Texas Parks and Wildlife.
- Texas: Texas noxious and invasive plant list (4 Tex. Admin. Code § 19.300(a)).
- USFWS, ECOS species database (ESA listing check), October 17, 2026.
- NatureServe Explorer, Yucca rupicola (global and state ranks).
- Edibility and toxicity: ASPCA.
- Photo: Rachel via iNaturalist · CC BY 4.0 · resized.