Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Shrub
Shrub
Origin
Southwestern United States, Mexico
Brazil
Types
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Abutilon Hybridum
Abutilon Megapotamicum
Abutilon Palmeri
Number of Varieties
-200
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Lower slopes
Grassland, Rocky areas
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-158-10
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
10-1
Sunset Zone
10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Rosette/Stemless
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
270.00 cm60.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
180.00 cm90.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow
Yellow, Red
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Tan
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Blue Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Blue Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Blue Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Green, Blue Green
Green, Gray Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Rosette
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral, Alkaline
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Average
Bloom Time
Spring
Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Grafting, Seedlings, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs very little water
Form a Soil ring to water efficiently, Never Over-water, Requires regular watering, Use Mulches to help prevent water loss during hot and windy weather, Water Deeply
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, Alkaline
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 spring, Remove dead leaves, Remove deadheads
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
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
Bold
Medium
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Hummingbirds
Birds, Hummingbirds
Allergy
-
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
-
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Diarrhea, Lung Problems
Part of Plant Used
Leaves
Whole plant
Other Uses
Paper pulp, Pulp can be used to make rope place mats and other goods
Showy Purposes
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Dried Flower, Everlasting, Feature Plant, Rock Garden, Wall, Wildflower
Bedding Plant, Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Hedges, Mixed Border, Topiary, Bonsai, Espalier, Tropical
Botanical Name
DASYLIRION texanum
ABUTILON megapotamicum
Common Name
Common sotol, Bear Grass, Common Sotol, Desert Spoon
Indian mallow or Velvetleaf
In Hindi
sotol
Abutilon
In German
Dasylirion texanum
Abutilon
In French
sotol
Abutilon
In Spanish
sotol
Abutilon
In Greek
sotol
Abutilon
In Portuguese
sotol
Abutilon
In Polish
sotol
Abutilon
In Latin
sotol
Abutilon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Liliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Liliales
Malvales
Family
Liliaceae
Malvaceae
Genus
Dasylirion
Abutilon
Clade
Monocots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
-
Malveae
Subfamily
Nolinoideae
Malvoideae
Number of Species
300200
1
27800
👆🏻