Meet the Ocotillo
Ocotillo | Fouquieria splendens
How do you know it’s me?:
I am a large, leggy shrub, covered in long thorns.
I am considered semi-succulent.
My stems are long, and mostly unbranched. They grow from my base like a bundle of sticks.
My spring flowers are red plumes, bursting from the tips of my stems. Each bloom is made up of a cluster of small tubular flowers.
My stems are bare throughout most of the year, but will produce a layer of leaves after a good rain. I will lose these leaves after the soil has dried out again.
Each of my leaves is a narrow green oval, about 2” or less in length.
How big do I grow?: 8’ - 20’ height and 5’ - 10’ spread.
Sun-seeker or shade-lover: Full sun.
Where I prefer to put my roots: I am a desert plant, and need well-drained, rocky soil.
Hardiness: Zone 8-11
Original home: I am most commonly found in the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts in the southwestern United States, and south into Mexico.
Colors: Red.
When I bloom: Spring to early summer.
Wildlife friends: Hummingbirds and bees rely on me as a source of early spring nectar. In southern Arizona, my blooming period coincides with the migration of hummingbird species.
Flora Fun Facts: In Spanish, Ocotillo means “Little Torch,” referring to the flame-like blooms at the end of my stems.
More Info: The Ocotillo’s spindly stems sway in the breeze in the deserts of the American southwest, tipped with vibrant red petals, as if dipped in paint. In the spring time, it is not uncommon to see hummingbirds zipping from one flower to the next.
A member of the Fouquieriaceae family (known as the Ocotillo family), which only includes a small group of (thorny) plants found in southwestern North America.
Ocotillo often live 60+ years, and some studies indicate they can reach over 100.
It is considered semi-succulent, but not a cactus.
It can grow and lose a layer of leaves four or five times a year, depending on the frequency and amount of rainfall. This behavior is called “drought deciduous.” Leaves are produced when water is available, and dropped when it is not.
When leafless, Ocotillo uses chlorophyll in its stems to photosynthesize.
Stems of this plant are sometimes cut and planted close together to form fences.
Can also be called Coachwhip or Candlewood.
