Yucca brevifolia is a plant species belonging to the genus Yucca.
It is tree-like in habit, which is reflected in its common names: Joshua tree, yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca.
The evergreen leaves are dark green, linear, bayonet-shaped, 15–35 cm long and 7–15 mm broad at the base, tapering to a sharp point; they are borne in a dense spiral arrangement at the apex of the stems.
The name Joshua tree was given by a group of Mormon settlers who crossed the Mojave Desert in the mid-19th century.
The tree's unique shape reminded them of a Biblical story in which Joshua reaches his hands up to the sky in prayer.

February 2012 challenge - "Fill the Frame"