Desert Spoon
Dasylirion wheeleri
A striking silver-blue sphere of saw-toothed leaves that throws up a tall, plumed flower stalk. Architecturally bold and tough. The baked, starchy heart and roasted flower stalks are a traditional food, and the same sugary pith is fermented and distilled into the spirit sotol, which the plant is named for.
- Family
- Asparagaceae
- Type
- shrub
- Lifespan
- perennial
- Height
- 15–15 ft
- Spacing
- 3–5 ft apart
- Light
- sun
- Soil moisture
- dry, moist
- Soil pH
- neutral, alkaline
- Bloom
- May, June, July
- Bloom colors
- yellow
- Wildlife value
- hummingbirds
- Landscape uses
- specimen, hedge or screen
- Native states
- AZ, NM, TX