Joshua tree

American  

noun

1. an evergreen tree, Yucca brevifolia, growing in arid or desert regions of the southwestern U.S., having long, twisted branches.

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Joshua tree British  

noun

1. a treelike desert yucca plant, Yucca brevifolia, of the southwestern US, with sword-shaped leaves and greenish-white flowers

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Etymology

Origin of Joshua tree

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Joshua tree

Depending on what they learn, the fix for future planting projects could be as simple as mixing a bit of native earth into the potting soil where the Joshua tree seedlings are grown.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

Behind him, a mature Joshua tree was dying, its graying limbs drooping sadly.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 19, 2026

In that case, sources said, most new Joshua tree growth would come from seeds brought into the burn scar by seed dispersers like antelope squirrels.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 21, 2025

Explorer John C. Frémont’s 1844 description of the Joshua tree as “the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom” was just the beginning.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 18, 2025

Not much grew around Midland other than the Joshua tree, cacti, and the scrubby little creosote bushes that Dad said were some of the oldest plants on the planet.

From "The Glass Castle" by Jeannette Walls