Some of these flowers give off a strong fragrance when they open at night. The yucca has large fruits that may be either fleshy or dry. They contain many small, flat, black seeds. The yucca is pollinated by the female yucca moth, which carries pollen from one yucca to another. See Flower .
Yuccas grow most abundantly in the southern and southwestern parts of the United States.
They also grow in the desert highlands and plateaus of Mexico. Most of the species are low shrubs. But in deserts of the southwestern United States, and in Mexico, there are several species that become large, picturesque trees. Joshua Tree National Park in California contains important collections of yucca trees. The popular northern species of yucca is called Adam's needle.