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The Sonoran Desert. The Sonoran Desert is a North American desert and ecoregion which covers large parts of the southwestern United States and of northwestern Mexico. With an area of 260,000 square kilometers (100,000 sq mi), it is the hottest desert in Mexico. The western portion of the Mexico–United States border passes through the Sonoran ...
This list of flora of the Mojave Desert region includes the flora of the Mojave Desert and of the mountains that are encircled by the Mojave Desert. Some of this flora is well above the level of growth of Yucca brevifolia ( Joshua Trees ), the upper reaches of which defines the outline of the Mojave Desert.
Joshua trees grow quickly for a desert species; new seedlings may grow at an average rate of 7.6 cm (3.0 in) per year in their first 10 years, then only about 3.8 cm (1.5 in) per year. [27] The trunk consists of thousands of small fibers and lacks annual growth rings, making determining the tree's age difficult.
More than half of the Colorado Desert's plant species are herbaceous annuals, and appropriately timed winter rains produce abundant early Spring wildflowers. In the southern portion of the region, the additional moisture supplied by summer rainfall fosters the germination of summer annual plants.
The leaves are yellowish green, and during extensively dry and hot periods the tree will shed them. It has the characteristic of performing photosynthesis in its bark (hence the green color), and this is what allows it to survive leafless in hotter periods. The flowers are found on the end of a branch, small, pale yellow and occur in late spring.
Fouquieria splendens (commonly known as ocotillo / ɒ k ə ˈ t iː j oʊ / (Latin American Spanish:), but also referred to as buggywhip, coachwhip, candlewood, slimwood, desert coral, Jacob's staff, Jacob cactus, and vine cactus) is a plant indigenous to the Mojave Desert, Sonoran Desert, Chihuahuan Desert and Colorado Desert in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern ...
A grove of Washingtonia filifera south of Palm Springs. Desert fan palms provide habitat for the giant palm-boring beetle, western yellow bat, hooded oriole, and many other bird species. Hooded orioles rely on the trees for food and places to build nests. Numerous insect species visit the hanging inflorescences that appear in late spring. [17]
Composite image of velvet mesquite leaves folding up in the evening in response to decreasing light levels. The taproot sinks deep into the earth, far deeper than the height of the tree, taking advantage of water sources inaccessible to most plants. Roots extend to about 50 ft (15 m), but depths as much as 175 ft (53 m) have been recorded.