Fouquieria splendens

Ocotillo
Ocotillos in the hills above Palm Springs, California
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Magnoliophyta
Class:	Magnoliopsida
Order:	Ericales
Family:	Fouquieriaceae
Genus:	Fouquieria
Species:	F. splendens
Binomial name
Fouquieria splendens Engelm.

The ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens - also called the coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and the vine cactus) is a curious, and unique desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. When rain comes, the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2-4 cm) ovate leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months.

The stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m. The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that the branches are pole-like and only infrequently divide further (specimens in cultivation may not exhibit any secondary 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.

Ocotillo poles are a common fencing material in their native region, and often take root to form a living fence. Being light of weight and with an interesting pattern these have also been favored by some for canes or walking sticks.

• 
  Closeup of ocotillo leaves.
• 
  Closeup of ocotillo thorns. Taken in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
• 
  Closeup of ocotillo flowers. Taken in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park
• 
  Ocotillo in full bloom. Taken near Lookout Mountain, Phoenix, AZ
• 
  Ocotillo in Cataviña region, Baja California desert, Mexico
• 
  Ocotillo in Cataviña region, Baja California desert, Mexico

External links

• Jepson Flora Project: Fouquiera splendens, [1]