Yucca whipplei
Chaparral yucca forms a dense, symmetrical rosette of stiff, gray-green, sharply pointed leaves roughly 2 to 3 feet across, then sends up a single dramatic flowering stalk that can reach 8 to 14 feet. It thrives in full sun with fast-draining soil and needs little to no irrigation once established, making it well suited to dry slopes, rocky banks, and low-water native plantings. In late spring the towering panicle carries hundreds of creamy white, often purple-tinged bells that draw pollinators; the rosette is largely monocarpic, declining after it flowers and sets seed, so specify it as a bold architectural accent rather than a permanent fixture. Use it for erosion control on hot, exposed sites and site it away from walkways since the leaf tips are hazardously rigid.