Yucca treculeana grows over a prominent New Mexico and Texas area, from the arid Chihuahuan Desert, across the Hill Country to the Gulf Coast, east nearly as far as Houston. Plants grow large (up to 20 feet tall) and tree-like, branching quite readily from the base and higher up the trunk. Leaves are long-lasting, so the rosettes become elongated, and dead leaves persist all or most along the stem, resulting in a hairy, irregular appearance.

The rigid, yellow-green, or blue-green leaves are curved in cross-section and typically 2/3 to 2 inches in width and 15 to 50 inches in length. They usually have filaments along the edges and a small spine at the tip. Some authorities consider yucca treculeana to be a synonym of yucca torreyi.