Accent
Green Desert Spoon
Dasylirion acrotrichum · Asparagaceae (formerly Nolinaceae/Agavaceae)
Also called: Green Sotol, Toothless Desert Spoon, Bear's Breeches (rare)
Green Desert Spoon (Dasylirion acrotrichum) is a very low-water accent well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun, with a slow growth rate.
Green Desert Spoon at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; tolerates reflected heat. Will accept light afternoon shade but stays densest in full sun.
- Mature size
- 4-5 ft H x 5-6 ft W (rosette); flower stalk to 9-15 ft H
- Growth rate
- Slow
- Bloom
- Creamy white to pale yellow (tiny flowers densely packed on the stalk), Late spring to summer (May-July) on mature plants; dioecious, so plants are male or female
- Cold hardiness
- Hardy to about 0-10°F; USDA zones 7b-11. Reliably hardy throughout the Tucson low desert.
- Soil
- Well-drained native or rocky/decomposed-granite soils; tolerates poor, alkaline, gravelly ground. Does not tolerate poorly drained or constantly wet soil.
- Native range
- Central and northeastern Mexico (Hidalgo, Querétaro, San Luis Potosí, Veracruz); not native to the Sonoran Desert. The closely related D. wheeleri is the Arizona-native desert spoon.
- Best used as
- Accent/specimen, Desert and xeriscape gardens, Rock gardens, Median and parking-lot islands, Containers, Architectural focal point
- Wildlife
- Flower stalks attract bees and other pollinators; provides cover for small wildlife. Generally deer-resistant.
- Toxicity
- Non-toxic / no significant toxicity reported to people or pets. Leaf margins of true Dasylirion species can be sharp; D. acrotrichum is comparatively softer-toothed.
How to grow Green Desert Spoon in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Deeply but infrequently. Water established plants only every 3-4 weeks in summer and rarely in winter; once established it survives on rainfall alone. Avoid overwatering, which causes crown/root rot.
Fertilizer & nutrients
Essentially none needed. An optional light application of balanced slow-release fertilizer in spring will speed growth, but desert spoon thrives in lean soils without feeding.
Pruning & care
Remove dead lower leaves to keep a clean look, or leave them as a natural 'skirt.' Remove spent flower stalks after bloom. Do not cut into the living crown. Symmetrical rosette needs no shaping.
Notes
Greener, softer, and less spiny than the more common gray-blue Sotol (D. wheeleri). Forms a fountain-like rosette of slender, flexible, finely-toothed leaves on a short trunk. The leaf bases form a 'spoon' shape (the source of the common name) traditionally used in dried arrangements. Excellent low-maintenance architectural accent for Tucson landscapes; pairs well with agaves, cactus, and brittlebush.
Sources: AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; Tohono Chul / Tucson Botanical Gardens plant references