Joshua tree

plural Joshua trees

1. A tree-like yucca, Yucca brevifolia, of the southwestern United States, with spiky leaves.

   It is possible that all Death Valley Joshua trees are the variety Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana.

   2009, T. Scott Bryan, Betty Tucker-Bryan, The Explorer's Guide to Death Valley National Park, page unnumbered page

   2 more examples

   Joshua trees that were salvaged by hand showed only 4% mortality in the nursery each of the first two years.

   1995, Raymond L. Franson, “Health of Plants Salvaged for Revegetation at the Mojave Desert Gold Mine: Year Two”, in Bruce A. Roundy, E. Durant McArthur, Jennifer S. Hayley, David K. Mann, editors, Proceedings: Wild Land Shrub and Arid Land Restoration Symposium, page 78

   While the Joshua tree ranges into the Great Basin and Sonoran Deserts. it has become synonymous with the Mojave. There are two different subspecies of Joshua trees: the larger Yucca brevifolia brevifolla, which grows at Joshua Tree National Park, and the more densely branched Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana, found in the park and other areas of the eastern Mojave.

   2004, Matthew Jaffe, Mojave National Preserve, page 8

1. A census-designated place in San Bernardino County, California, United States.