The Traveling Gardener: California Desert
An early sunrise at Joshua Tree National Park.
I’m back with another traveling gardener blog, but this time I’ll be discussing plants native to the California desert. Growing up in California, I’ve had the joy of seeing these beauties in the wild as well as in ornamental drought-tolerant gardens. Joshua Trees, Cholla, and Yucca whipplei are very common throughout southern California and chances are you’ve happened upon them more than once. Here is some basic care instructions for these gorgeous desert plants.
Joshua Trees are iconic to the California desert.
Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia) are iconic in California. Yucca palm, tree yucca, and palm tree yucca are some other common names for this plant. There’s an entire national park named after these incredible evergreen trees. Joshua Trees are easy to spot from their thick trunk and branches, and the gray-green clustered spiny-tipped leaves. This slow-growing tree can reach heights of 15-30 feet tall while their leaves can reach lengths of up to 16 inches. Dense bunches of greenish white flowers typically bloom in late winter and spring. Keep in mind that these plants take years to grow and reach full size; buying them from a nursery can result in extremely slow trunk development. Joshua Trees grow well in zones 7, 9-16, and 18-23; they need dry, well-draining soil in desert gardens. Remember, trunks and branches are very heavy and weigh a lot, so be careful when transplanting or moving larger plants.
Cholla in Joshua Tree National Park.
Cholla (Cylindropuntia fulgida), also known as jumping cholla or hanging chain cholla, is another gorgeous California native plant in the same Opuntia family as Prickly Pear. Similar looking to Joshua Trees, they are the smaller, slimmer version of the famous tree. They still have spines that grow from their branches, however they grow from 3 to 15 feet tall and have much thinner trunks and branches. They produce fleshy green fruits and flowers (often yellow, pink, or white), and their spiny stems change from a pale yellow to a grayish-green with age. Like Joshua Trees, they need full sun, well-draining soil on the sandy side, and neutral soil pH. Starting or propagating Cholla is best when done from a pad or stem planting; starting it from seed will be extremely slow. It’s best to plant in spring or summer in sandy soil. Make sure the soil is loose for aeration and plant it in a hole twice as large as the pad or root itself. Cholla will need supplemental water until established, similar to most succulents. Although Cholla can handle freezing temperatures, moving these plants indoors during winter months will help with cold protection (this mainly applies to cooler, northern regions of California.)
Commonly referred to as “Our Lord’s Candle” due to the tall white blooms that Yucca displays.
[Hespero] Yucca whipplei, commonly referred to as Chaparral Yucca or Our Lord’s Candle, is another very distinguished California desert plant. Unlike the Joshua Tree and Cholla, Chaparral Yucca has a dense, trunkless cluster of large fleshy leaves. The leaves form a gray-green rosette, and when blooming grow tall stems with beautiful white flowers on top. The rosette will grow to about 3 feet tall and up to 6 feet wide, while the flowering stems can reach heights of 6 to 14 feet tall. They are quite a sight to see in full bloom during summer, however plants typically die after flowering. They fare well in zones 2-24, can receive full sun or light shade, and prefer a sandy or clay, well-draining soil. You should plant or transplant them in early spring, and propagate them from seeds located within the fruits or suckers around the base. These yuccas need moderate watering with an increase during the warm summer months. Fun fact about these beauties: they are mostly pest and disease-resistant!
While there are many other gorgeous plants native to the California desert, these three stand out as iconic plants of the Southwest.