desert spoon
Dasylirion wheeleri
RHS AGM 2002
USDA zones8 to 11
SunNeeds full sun (6+ hours)
WaterNeeds dry soil
Size3 to 5 feet tall4 to 5 feet wide
- Bloom season
- Spring, summer, autumn, winter
- Bloom color
- Yellow
- Foliage color
- Dark green
- Soil types
- Sand, loam, clay, chalk
- Soil pH
- Acid, alkaline, neutral
Garden uses
Attracts
Notes
Desert spoon (Dasylirion wheeleri) is a shrub for borders, containers, and xeriscape gardens. It is hardy to USDA zone 8, or down to 10°F (-12°C). This plant likes full sun and dry soil of most types. Heavy soil can make it rot, so give it excellent drainage and use a mineral mulch such as crushed limestone or granite. Tall flower spikes attract hummingbirds, and the sharp leaf teeth mean it belongs away from paths. Deer and rabbits tend to pass it by.
Pairs well with Prickly-pear, Purple sage, and Capers.
Native range
North America.