Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Shrub
Origin
India, Nepal, China, Japan, Korea
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Types
Cornus controversa
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Number of Varieties
1-
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Woodland Garden Canopy
Desert, Lower slopes
USDA Hardiness Zone
5-812-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
8-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Rosette/Stemless
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,070.00 cm270.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
610.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
White, Ivory
Yellow
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Burgundy, Dark Blue, Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Dark Green
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Light Yellow, Burgundy, Dark Red
Green, Blue Green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Green, Blue Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Ovate
Rosette
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Growth Rate
Fast
Slow
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Late Spring, Early Summer
Spring
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought
Where to Plant?
Ground
Ground
How to Plant?
Grafting, Seedlings
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering during dry weather
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
Clay, Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun
Pruning
-
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
No fertilizers needed
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Bacterial leaf spot, Canker, Powdery mildew
-
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Used in parkland
-
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Antiphlogistic
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Oil used in the lubricating and soap industry
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Shade Trees, Street Trees
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Botanical Name
CORNUS controversa
DASYLIRION texanum
Common Name
Giant Dogwood, Wedding Cake Tree
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
In Hindi
Wedding Cake Tree
sotol
In German
Hochzeitstorte Baum
Dasylirion texanum
In French
Gâteau de mariage Arbre
sotol
In Spanish
Pastel de bodas del árbol
sotol
In Greek
Γαμήλια τούρτα Δέντρο
sotol
In Portuguese
Árvore do bolo de casamento
sotol
In Polish
Wedding Cake Drzewo
sotol
In Latin
MUSTACEUM ligno
sotol
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Liliopsida
Order
Cornales
Liliales
Family
Cornaceae
Liliaceae
Genus
Cornus
Dasylirion
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Monocots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
Cornoideae
Nolinoideae
Number of Species
3300
1
27800
👆🏻