Joshua Tree: ( Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana ) The Mormons named the Joshua tree after the biblical figure, Joshua. The trees appeared to them as if they were raising their branches in supplication. Other travelers, such as John Fremont, described Joshua trees as “repulsive.” Both revered and disdained, these members of the yucca genus have become a symbol of the desert and provide habitat for animals that range from the Scott’s Oriole to the Northern flicker. They grow in elevations that range from 3,000-7,000 feet with an average life span of 150 years. As protection from predation, Joshua Trees often germinate under nurse plants until the age of four years. Once their spiny limbs develop, they eventually overtake the nurse plant.
Plants
Known as the high desert, Mojave National Preserve has elevations from 938 feet at Zzyzx to 7,929 feet at Clark Mountain. The range in elevation diversifies plant life. Relict stands of white fir, juniper and pinyon pines are found at higher elevations while yuccas, Joshua Trees, and cholla are found lower. Most annual plants escape the drought periods by completing their life cycles quickly during the short winter and spring rainy season, before the desert becomes dry and inhospitable. These are the grasses and wildflowers that carpet the desert with soft color in favorable years. Drought resistant species include shrubs, which often drop their leaves during dry periods, and cacti, whose leaves are reduced to a spine. The fleshy stem of the cactus stores water, while the spiny leaves provide shade to protect the stem sections. A third group of plants grows around springs and seeps where there is an ample supply of water. This riparian vegetation is an important resource to animals, especially migratory birds.
Joshua Tree: ( Yucca brevifolia jaegeriana ) The Mormons named the Joshua tree after the biblical figure, Joshua. The trees appeared to them as if they were raising their branches in supplication. Other travelers, such as John Fremont, described Joshua trees as “repulsive.” Both revered and disdained, these members of the yucca genus have become a symbol of the desert and provide habitat for animals that range from the Scott’s Oriole to the Northern flicker. They grow in elevations that range from 3,000-7,000 feet with an average life span of 150 years. As protection from predation, Joshua Trees often germinate under nurse plants until the age of four years. Once their spiny limbs develop, they eventually overtake the nurse plant.
Creosote: (Larrea tridentata) Creosote is the most pervasive plant in the Preserve. Resilient and hardy, it can grow in elevations up to 4,000 feet and is found in all four southwestern deserts. The rings of the creosote are considered to be among the oldest living things on the planet, at 11 – 14 thousand years old. The Pima and other indigenous people chewed creosote gum to ward off dysentery and stomach ailments.
Cholla: (Cactocea) Part of the cacti family, the cholla uses CAM photosynthesis, an alternative pathway to convert energy from the sun into food. Mesophyll cells in the leaves convert carbon dioxide into organic acids. This allows the cholla to conserve water by keeping the stomata (the traditional pathway for photosynthesis) closed during the day. It is the only cactus with sheaths which cover the spine.
Plants
Despite its reputation as a lifeless wasteland, Death Valley National Park contains a great diversity of plants. The park covers over 3 million acres of Mojave and Great Basin desert terrain. With over 11,000 feet of elevation change, and annual precipitation varying from 1.9 inches on the valley floor to over 15 inches in the higher mountains, there are a variety of different environments within the park for a great diversity of plants to thrive!
Vegetation zones include creosote bush, desert holly, and mesquite at the lower elevations up through shadscale, blackbrush, Joshua tree, pinyon-juniper, to sub-alpine limber pine and bristlecone pine woodlands. The saltpan is devoid of vegetation, and the rest of the valley floor and lower slopes have sparse cover, yet where water is available, an abundance of vegetation is usually present.
Spring Blooms!
Spring wildflower blooms are a popular attraction in this desert park. Most years will have at least a few flowers, while others can have spectacular “superblooms.” For more information on blooms and insight into the current year’s bloom predictions, visit our Wildflower Seasons page.
Surviving a Harsh Environment
How have plants adapted to survive the extremes of Death Valley? Here are a few broad strategies:
Escaper plants- (ex: wildflowers) wait for favorable growing conditions such as rain and cool temperatures and avoid growing during the extreme heat and dry periods.
Resister plants- are able to resist the extreme temperatures and dryness of Death Valley and live year-round. An example of this are mesquite trees, which have roots up to 80 feet long that allow them to reach water deep underground.
Evader plants- (ex: pickleweed) evade the extreme conditions by living near water sources like springs and streams.
Wildflowers
Learn more about wildflowers and get an update on current blooming in the park.
