Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Saraca asoca
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
1-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Forests, Subtropical forests
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-1512-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
H2
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
850.00 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Orange, Gold, Crimson
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Dark Red, Dark Salmon
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Pink, Copper
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Pinnate
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Partial shade
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Slow
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering
Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Partial shade
Full Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
organic fertlizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
-
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
Showy
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds, Butterflies
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Bleeding, hemorrhoids, Used as a sedative
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Used for its medicinal properties
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
SARACA indica
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Ashoka Tree, Sorrowless Tree
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
Saraca इंडिका
sotol
In German
SARACA indica
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Saraca indica
sotol
In Spanish
indica Saraca
sotol
In Greek
Saraca indica
sotol
In Portuguese
Saraca indica
sotol
In Polish
Saraca indica
sotol
In Latin
Saraca indica
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Fabales
Liliales
Family
Fabaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Saraca
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Monocots
Tribe
Detarieae
-
Subfamily
-
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
4300
1
27800
👆🏻