''Fouquieria splendens'' (commonly known as ocotillo (), 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 Sonoran Desert and Chihuahuan Desert and

Colorado Desert California's Colorado Desert is a part of the larger Sonoran Desert. It encompasses approximately , including the heavily irrigated Coachella and Imperial valleys. It is home to many unique flora and fauna. Geography and geology The Colorado De ...

in the

Southwestern United States The Southwestern United States, also known as the American Southwest or simply the Southwest, is a geographic and cultural region of the United States that generally includes Arizona, New Mexico, and adjacent portions of California, Colorado, Ne ...

(southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), and northern Mexico (as far south as Hidalgo and Guerrero). While semi-

succulent In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants with parts that are thickened, fleshy, and engorged, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions. The word ''succulent'' comes from the Latin word ''sucus'', meani ...

and a desert plant, Ocotillo is more closely related to tea and

blueberries Blueberries are a widely distributed and widespread group of perennial flowering plants with blue or purple berries. They are classified in the section ''Cyanococcus'' within the genus ''Vaccinium''. ''Vaccinium'' also includes cranberries, bi ...

than to cactuses. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. With rainfall, the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2–4 cm), ovate

leaves A leaf (plural, : leaves) is any of the principal appendages of a vascular plant plant stem, stem, usually borne laterally aboveground and specialized for photosynthesis. Leaves are collectively called foliage, as in "autumn foliage", wh ...

, which may remain for weeks or even months. Individual stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m (33 ft). The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that, the branches are pole-like and rarely divide further. Specimens in cultivation may not exhibit any secondary branches. The leaf stalks harden into blunt spines, and new leaves sprout from the base of the spine. The bright crimson flowers appear especially after rainfall in spring, summer, and occasionally fall. Flowers are clustered indeterminately at the tips of each mature stem. Individual flowers are mildly zygomorphic and are pollinated by

hummingbird Hummingbirds are birds native to the Americas and comprise the biological family Trochilidae. With about 361 species and 113 genera, they occur from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, but the vast majority of the species are found in the tropics aro ...

s and native carpenter bees.

Distribution

Ocotillo occurs in desert regions of southwestern United States through central Mexico. It grows in dry, generally rocky soils.

Cultivation

Ocotillo can be planted year-round with care. Ideal plants have been grown in pots from stem cuttings and from seed. Transplanting large bare-root plants has marginal success. They should be planted to the original growing depth and, as with cacti, in their original directional orientation: the original south side of the plant, which has become more heat- and sunlight-resistant, should again face the brighter, hotter southern direction. If their direction is not marked, success is again limited.

Uses

* Individual ocotillo stems are sometimes used as poles as a fencing material in their native region, and often take root to form a living fence. * Due to their light weight and interesting pattern, ocotillo branches have been used for canes or walking sticks. * Fresh flowers are sometimes used in salads and have a tangy flavor. * Flowers are collected, dried, and used for tisanes. * According to ''Medicinal Plants of the Desert and Canyon West'' (a book published in 1989 by Museum of New Mexico Press), a fresh

bark Bark may refer to: * Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick * Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog) Places * Bark, Germany * Bark, Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, Poland Arts, ...

tincture can be made by chopping or snipping freshly removed bark into 1/2-inch pieces. It is said to be useful for those symptoms that arise due to fluid congestion and to be absorbed from the intestines into the mesenteric lymph system by way of the lacteals of the small intestinal lining. This is believed to stimulate better visceral lymph drainage into the thoracic duct and improve dietary fat absorption into the lymph system.Maya Strunk (Spring 2001 Independent study) at Medicinal Plants of the Southwest
/ref> * Bathing in water that contains crushed flowers or roots has been used to relieve

fatigue Fatigue describes a state of tiredness that does not resolve with rest or sleep. In general usage, fatigue is synonymous with extreme tiredness or exhaustion that normally follows prolonged physical or mental activity. When it does not resolve ...

. * Native Americans place the flowers and roots of ocotillo over fresh wounds to slow bleeding. * Ocotillo is also used to alleviate

coughing A cough is a sudden expulsion of air through the large breathing passages that can help clear them of fluids, irritants, foreign particles and microbes. As a protective reflex, coughing can be repetitive with the cough reflex following three phas ...

, achy limbs, varicose veins, urinary tract infections, cervical varicosities, and benign prostate growths.

Subspecies

The three

subspecies In biological classification, subspecies is a rank below species, used for populations that live in different areas and vary in size, shape, or other physical characteristics (morphology), but that can successfully interbreed. Not all species ...

are: *''F. s. splendens''

Engelm. George Engelmann, also known as Georg Engelmann, (2 February 1809 – 4 February 1884) was a German-American botanist. He was instrumental in describing the flora (plants), flora of the west of North America, then very poorly known to Europeans; ...

*''F. s. breviflora'' Hendrickson *''F. s. campanulata'' ( Nash) Henrickson

Gallery

File:Ocotillo Flower.jpg, An ocotillo flower with visible needles File:Ocotillo Forest Santa Rita Mountains Arizona 2014.jpg, Ocotillo forest in the Santa Rita Mountains of Arizona File:Ocotillo leaves-300px.jpg, Closeup of ocotillo leaves File:Ocotillothron02262006.JPG, Closeup of ocotillo thorns in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park File:Ocotilloflower02262006.JPG, Closeup of ocotillo flowers in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park File:Ocotillo-600.jpg, Ocotillo covered with rare snow in Tucson, Arizona File:Ocotillo.jpg, Ocotillo in full bloom near Lookout Mountain, Phoenix, Arizona File:Ocotillo-with-bee.jpg, Ocotillo flower with a bee above — Tucson File:Ocotillotucson.JPG, Ocotillo with leaves outside Tucson Mountains after a rainfall event File:Ocotillo plant in Joshua Tree National Park.jpg, Ocotillo plant in Joshua Tree National Park File:Ocotillo in the City of Rocks State Park's desert botanical garden.jpg, Ocotillo in the City of Rocks State Park's desert botanical garden

References

External links

Calflora Database: ''Fouquieria splendens'' (Ocotillo)

Jepson Manual eFlora (TJM2) treatment of ''Fouquiera splendens''

UC CalPhotos gallery of ''Fouquieria splendens''
{{Taxonbar, from=Q138966 splendens North American desert flora Flora of the California desert regions Flora of the Chihuahuan Desert Flora of the Sonoran Deserts Flora of Northwestern Mexico Flora of Northeastern Mexico Flora of Arizona Flora of Baja California Flora of Nevada Flora of New Mexico Flora of Texas Natural history of the Colorado Desert Flora of the Mexican Plateau Plants described in 1848 Flora without expected TNC conservation status