Life Span
Perennial
Annual and Perennial
Type
Shrub
Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
South Africa
Types
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Cephalanthus occidentalis
Number of Varieties
-7
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Lower slopes
Boggy areas, Dappled Shade, Shady Edge, Sunny Edge, Woodland Garden Canopy
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-159-11
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
9-1
Sunset Zone
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Rosette/Stemless
Upright/Erect
Plant Size
Minimum Height
270.00 cm365.76 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm182.88 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Light Yellow, Ivory
Flower Color Modifier
-
-
Fruit Color
-
Brown
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Rosette
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Medium
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Early Spring, Spring, Late Spring, Winter, Late Winter
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Wet Site
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Requires 4 to 8 inches of water above the soil line
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Average
Sun Exposure
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune in early summer, Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves, Trim each shoot back to the first set of leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
-
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Wet Site
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
-
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
-
-
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Butterflies
Allergy
-
Toxic
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Astringent, Diaphoretic, Diuretic, Emetic, Febrifuge, Laxative, Odontalgic, Ophthalmic, Tonic
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Bark, Fruits, Inner Bark, Root, Wood
Other Uses
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used for woodware
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Bog Garden, Cutflower, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION texanum
BERZELIA lanuginosa
Common Name
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Buttonbush
In Hindi
sotol
Buttonbush shrub
In German
Dasylirion texanum
Button Strauch
In French
sotol
buttonbush arbuste
In Spanish
sotol
arbusto buttonbush
In Greek
sotol
Buttonbush θάμνος
In Portuguese
sotol
arbusto Buttonbush
In Polish
sotol
Buttonbush krzew
In Latin
sotol
Frutex Buttonbush
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Rubiales
Family
Liliaceae
Bruniaceae
Genus
Dasylirion
Cephalanthus
Clade
Monocots
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
-
Number of Species
30012
1
27800
👆🏻