Boojum Tree

desert plants · Mexico · unusual shapes

Super tall and skinny. The Boojum tree grows straight up like a giant toothpick, sometimes reaching 40 feet or more high but staying very thin. It's one of the tallest desert plants you'll find.

Lives in Baja California. This strange tree is almost only found on the Baja California Peninsula in Mexico, with just a tiny group living in a place called Sierra Bacha in Sonora. It's like the tree's special home that it won't leave.

Named after a poem. A scientist named Godfrey Sykes gave it the funny name 'Boojum' after a made-up creature from Lewis Carroll's silly poem 'The Hunting of the Snark.' The name stuck and now everyone calls it that.

Part of ocotillo family. The Boojum tree is related to ocotillos, which are other desert plants with long, spiky branches. They're part of the same plant family and share similar survival tricks for hot, dry weather.