Dasylirion leiophyllum
Dasylirion leiophyllum, or green sotol, smooth-leaf sotol, is a succulent shrub in the asparagus family. It is native to North America, occurring in Mexico (Chihuahua and Coahuila) and in the United States (New Mexico and western Texas). It was first collected in 1880 and described in 1911.
Description: The plant has a trunk up to about 1 meter tall and can grow upright or lie on its side. Its leaves are shiny green, long (up to 80 cm) and narrow (about 2.5 cm wide) with sharp points. Older plants may have a sheath of dead leaves around the trunk. The flowering stalk can reach up to 5 meters, with many tiny flowers. The plant has separate male and female plants. Fruits are small, three-winged capsules under 1 cm long. It can reproduce by seeds and also sprout vegetatively from buds at the base of leaves.
Habitat: It grows in dry desert areas, especially the Chihuahuan Desert, in woodlands and desert grasslands, often on calcareous soils. It is commonly found with lechuguilla and walnut and other desert plants such as prickly pear, yucca, nolina, junipers, oaks, grasses, and more.
Fire: Mature plants can ignite and burn for hours. If the burning top breaks off and rolls downhill, fire can spread through the habitat. After fire, the plant can sometimes resprout from leaf-base buds.
Uses and trade: In Mexico, related Dasylirion species are used to make sotol liquor. The plant’s starch is roasted, fermented, and distilled to produce the drink. Sotol has a protected status in Mexico for certain regions, a rule that is considered in trade with other countries. In recent years there has been controversy about using Dasylirion plants outside these regions and related trade rules.
Conservation: Conservation status is Secure.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 18:49 (CET).