Ocotillo
| Ocotillo | ||||||||||||||
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| Ocotillos in the hills above Palm Springs, California | ||||||||||||||
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| Binomial name | ||||||||||||||
| Fouquieria splendens |
The ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a curious desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. At first appearing to be an arrangement of large dead sticks, closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green and covered (at most times of the year) with small ovate leaves.
The stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m. Each stem is separate, and branches only infrequently; specimens in cultivation may not exhibit any branches at all. The leaf stalks harden into blunt spines, and new leaves sprout from the base of the spine. The bright red flowers appear in spring and summer, occurring as a group of small tube shapes at the tip of the stem.
 Closeup of ocotillo leaves |
 Closeup of ocotillo flowers |
Categories: Ericales