The Chaparral Yucca (Hesperoyucca whipplei) also known as the Chaparral Candle, is a flowering plant occurring in chaparral, coastal sage scrub, and oak woodland habitats. It takes about seven years to go from seed to bloom, but will die after blooming. The Chaparral Yucca was also a staple plant in the diet of the early Americans of this region.

The Chaparral Yucca can survive chaparral wildfires and, though damaged and similar in appearance to a pineapple, the seedlings may appear within the first year but can be delayed two or more years depending on the intensity of the fire.

To see more photos of the Chaparral Yucca, visit the San Diego Natural History Museum’s San Diego County Plant Atlas.

PHOTO CREDIT: V. Grubsky