Ocotillo

An ocotillo blooms after the spring rain in Whitmore Canyon.

NPS/

Ocotillos (Fouquieria splendens) are more common farther south in Mexico, Southern Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas mostly in the Sonoran and Chihuahan Deserts but they can also be found in a few isolated locations on Parashant such as the Whitmore Canyon overlook.

Throughout much of the year, ocotillos resemble dead, spiny, sticks jabbing into the ground. The plant may look a bit odd as the majority of the branches separate at the base giving it a somewhat funnel type shape. Leafless the majority of the year, ocotillos use chlorophyll in their stems to conduct photosynthesis.

Ocotillos on Parashant usually bloom late April to early June. After this time they may bloom again depending on summer rainfall. Like all living things, water is the limiting factor for these desert beauties. When dry soils receive ample rainfall ocotillo may spring to life by sprouting thousands of round oval emerald green leaves. By sprouting these leaves, the plant is able to collect more energy that can then be used for producing flowers and reproducing.

The flowers appear at the tips of the branches in bundles that resemble a flaming torch. A fire-blooming ocotillo decked in verdant foliage is one of the more wondrous sights of the desert. It is a welcome sight not just for humans but for other creatures as well, such as hummingbirds and bees, who drink nectar and pollinate the blooming ocotillos.