Ocotillo

desert · plants · southwestern US

Spiky desert dweller. The ocotillo grows in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico, with tall branches covered in sharp spines from top to bottom.

Rain-powered bloomer. After a desert rainstorm, the ocotillo can quickly grow bright red flowers at the tips of its branches, sometimes within just a few days.

Leaves come and go. Instead of keeping leaves all year, the ocotillo drops its leaves when times are dry and grows them back when it rains, saving water for survival.

Tall and thin. The ocotillo can grow up to 30 feet tall but stays very narrow and spiky, looking like a bundle of long sticks reaching toward the sky.