Hesperaloe
Genus of flowering plants
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Hesperaloe (false yucca)[2] is a genus of flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agavoideae.[1] It contains perennial yucca-like plants with long, narrow leaves produced in a basal rosette and flowers borne on long panicles or racemes. The species are native to the arid parts of Texas in the United States and Mexico and are sometimes cultivated as xerophytic ornamental plants.[3]
| Hesperaloe | |
|---|---|
| |
| Hesperaloe parviflora | |
Scientific classification  | |
| Kingdom: | Plantae |
| Clade: | Embryophytes |
| Clade: | Tracheophytes |
| Clade: | Angiosperms |
| Clade: | Monocots |
| Order: | Asparagales |
| Family: | Asparagaceae |
| Subfamily: | Agavoideae |
| Genus: | Hesperaloe Engelm.[1] |
The genus name is derived from the Greek word έσπερος (hesperos), meaning "western", and aloe, which the plants resemble.[4] The genus is not closely related to Aloe, the latter belonging to a different family (Asphodelaceae).
Species
| Image | Scientific name | Distribution |
|---|---|---|
_Hesperaloe_campanulata_fh_0642_MEX_Anfang_April_in_Nordmexiko_A.jpg) | Hesperaloe campanulata G.Starr | Nuevo León |
_Hesperaloe_chiangii_fh_0644_MEX_A.jpg) | Hesperaloe chiangii (G.D.Starr) B.L.Turner | San Luis Potosí |
_Hesperaloe_engelmannii_fh_427.30_TX_Mit_langen_Blütenstengeln.jpg) | Hesperaloe engelmannii Krauskopf ex Baker | Texas |
_Hesperaole_funifera_fh_0640_MEX_AA.jpg) | Hesperaloe funifera (K.Koch) Trel. | Coahuila, Nuevo León, Texas, Sonora, San Luis Potosí |
 | Hesperaloe malacophylla Hochstätter & Mart.-Aval. | Tamaulipas |
 | Hesperaloe nocturna Gentry | Sonora |
_Hesperaloe_parviflora_fh_427.35_TX_Kulturpflanze_selten_gelbblühend.jpg) | Hesperaloe parviflora (Torr.) J.M.Coult. – Red Yucca | Coahuila, Texas |
| Hesperaloe tenuifolia G.Starr | Sonora | |
Kimberly-Clark announced in August 2026 that hesperaloes are being developed as a potential replacement for tree fibers in hygiene products like toilet paper and paper towels. [7]
