'Trees' with an attitude...

Joshua trees of the Mojave Desert

I have always been fascinated by the twisted, spiky Joshua tree that looks like it came straight out of a Dr. Seuss story.  As the saguaro cactus is an indicator for the Sonoran Desert, the Joshua tree provides a good indicator that you are in the Mojave Desert.  But there is some overlap of habitat and you will find Joshua trees and saguaros mixed together in the Sonoran Desert of western Arizona or Joshua trees mixed with pines in the San Bernardino Mountains of California.

 

Joshua tree at Keys Point
looking toward the snow-capped San Bernardino Mountains

 

Our first day at Joshua Tree National Park was only 62 degrees and the wind was still blowing with gusts of 40 mph.  We didn’t wear enough clothes and were cold on our short nature hikes.  So after a few goose bump producing excursions we mostly stayed in the car and did a driving tour of the park.  That worked out pretty well as we spent time in the visitor center and at other exhibits learning all about the Joshua tree and other plants of the Mojave Desert.  Plus I got a feel for some of the most photogenic places to revisit when weather and light were a little more cooperative.

 

 Besides Joshua Trees, the park has some interesting rock formations

 

The next two days were much nicer and we took time to explore more of the park and reinforce our new-found plant knowledge. Upon first glance, we found it was easy to confuse a young Joshua tree with its close relative, the Mojave yucca.  Both plants are yuccas and members of the Agave family.  Until recently, the Joshua tree was considered a giant member of the Lily family, but DNA studies led to the division of that huge family into 40 distinct plant families.  (DNA research is so fascinating!)

Mohave yucca can be single or multi-trunk
They usually don't grow as tall as Joshua trees

Mojave yucca have longer, wider leaves and curling
threads along the leaf margins 

American Indians have long used Joshua trees to make sandals and baskets and the flower buds and seeds added nutrition to their diets.  Legend has it that mid-nineteenth century Mormon immigrants named the Joshua tree after the biblical figure, Joshua.  They saw the limbs of the tree as outstretched in supplication, guiding the travelers westward.  Ranchers and miners came west as well and used the Joshua tree’s limbs and trunks for fencing and corrals and fuel for the steam engines used in processing ore. 

 

Some Joshua trees grow like straight stalks.  That is because these trees have never bloomed.  Once they do bloom, the characteristic branching begins.  The branching makes for very interesting shapes. The Joshua tree is a monocot, in the subgroup of flowering plants that also includes grasses and orchids.  So there are no growth rings like you would find in a true tree such as a pine.  This makes it very difficult to ‘age’ Joshua trees but it is estimated that some are over a hundred years old and many grow to 30 or 40 feet in height.

Teddy bear cholla - look don't hug...

Blooming teddy bear cholla

 

Although Joshua trees dominate throughout the Mojave Desert, they are not the only plant in the desert.  One section of the park, called the Cholla Cactus Garden, contains almost a monoculture of teddy bear cholla.  These very prickly, uncuddly cacti are everywhere!  I guess from a distance they look furry like a teddy bear, but hugging them is definitely not a good idea.

Beavertail cactus in bloom

Hedgehog cactus

 

We've been pretty lucky so far that spring weather has held and the desert has not been unbearably hot.  But we still have one of the hottest places on the North American continent to visit -- Death Valley.  First we are going to visit my aunt in Lake Havasu City, then run up to see friends in St. George, Utah.  After that, Death Valley here we come - our last desert until we travel south again in the fall. 

Goodbye Joshua tree...

 

David's Stats:
Days Hiked       2
Total Miles Hiked    1.30    
Ave. Miles per Day     0.65
Total Elevation Gain       85
Ave. Elevation Gain per day   43

Enough with the cactus pictures, let's go for a walk!