Returning to Colorado, we drove east on Interstate 15 across Southern California and Southern Nevada. Just short of the California-Nevada border, the highway climbed across a ridge and, near an elevation of 4000 feet, Joshua trees appeared in abundance.
Also known as the yucca palm, the Joshua Tree is native to the Mojave Desert of the Desert Southwest. It is relatively fast growing and may reach 50 feet in height; flowering occurs in late winter or early spring (if weather conditions permit) and these hardy plants disperse by seed or suckering. The yucca moth is the primary pollinator.
For some of us, the term Joshua Tree will always be associated with U2's best album (in my humble opinion), but, for most, it will bring to mind the distinctive, top-heavy denizen of the otherwise bleak Mojave landscape.
