Discovering the Desert / Diverse Landscapes
Plantae, Anthophyta, Monocotyledoneae, Liliales, Agavaceae
Chemehuevi: tsoarömpö
Mojave: huêlye
Cahuilla: hunuvat chiy’a or humwichawa
The Joshua tree is a member of the agave family. Often confused with the Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera), a Joshua tree is distinguished by its shorter, thin leaves and lack of peeling fibers curling along the leaf edges. Unlike true trees, the Joshua tree trunk is not woody with growth rings, but is composed of thousands of small fiber bundles. Current scientific research focuses on whether the park’s namesake will be able to survive if the climate changes as predicted and wildfires intensify.
H 42, W 29 cm
Joshua Tree National Park, JOTR 30762