Yucca elata, Engelm., locally called soapweed, is a long-lived perennial of the Liliaceae. Wooton and Standley (1915) describe the plant as follows: "Stems conspicuous in old plants, reaching a height of 3 to 4 meters, naked below, clothed with a tuft of leaves above; inflorescence a much branched panicle, leaves 10 mm wide or less." Average plants in southern New Mexico vary from 3 to 6 feet in height, but specimens as tall as 30 feet have been observed.