ARIZONA PLANTS

Mesquite Trees There are three main types in AZ

Screwbean Honey Velvet

Mesquites have taproots that go deep into the ground to find water.

Mesquite Trees They are important to Native

Americans for the following reasons: seed pods used to make flour leaves used to make tea resin used for dyes, paint and

medicine roots used to make rope wood used to make shelters, bowls,

war clubs and was burned

Mesquite Tree

Agave Also known as the century plant. It does not take 100 years to bloom,

but 15-30 instead. The plant sends up a large, tall stalk

that has many flowering blooms. Once the stalk flowers, the plant dies. The hearts of some agaves are used

to make tequila.

Agave

Parry’s Century Plant The leaves grow in a tight, circular

cluster in which the younger, inner leaves are protected by the outer leaves.

Century plants have long, shallow roots that collect water, which is stored in the fleshy leaves.

Fibers from the leaves can be used to make ropes, nets, and baskets.

Parry’s Century Plant

Joshua Tree It is the indicator plant for the Mojave

Desert. The name ‘Joshua Tree’ came from

Mormons who thought the branches were being lifted to the heavens like the arms of the Biblical figure Joshua.

The older the plant, the more branches it has. After a stem blooms, the end of it dies. A new branch then grows out of the old one.

Joshua Tree Moths pollinate the plant as they

lay eggs. This is a mutualistic relationship.

The plant gets to reproduce while the eggs of the moth receive shelter and protection.

Joshua Tree

Yucca The leaves are fibrous and are used

to make rope, baskets, and shoes. The seeds of the fruit are dispersed

by rodents today, but used to be eaten by giant sloths.

After a yucca blooms, it does NOT die.

It is one of the indicator plants of the Chihuahuan Desert.

Yucca

Ocotillo Also called living fences because cuttings

can be placed in the ground to form a fence for livestock.

They are drought deciduous plants, which means they drop their leaves when there is not enough water.

They can drop and re-grow their leaves up to eight times a year.

When they drop their leaves, they look like they are dead, but they are just fine.

Ocotillo

Desert Marigold/Desert Baileya

The clumps of bright yellow flowers are common along roads and cover hillsides during the spring.

Penstemon The pinkish/red blooms attract

hummingbirds.

Arizona Poppy One of the most common wildflowers

in the Sonoran Desert. These poppies have yellow petals

with an orange center. Easily seen in the Superstition Mountains.

LupineLupines belong to the pea family.

They have a beneficial relationship with bacteria that improves the soil.

The flowers are a beautiful bluish purple color.

Lupine

Organ Pipe CactusThis cactus grows as a clump of column like stems.

It flowers at night. Native Americans eat the fruits.

Organ Pipe Cactus

Senita Also called the ‘old man cactus’. They look similar to the organ

pipe cactus, but they have a thick growth of fine thorns at the tops of the stems.

The thorns provide shade for the sensitive ends of the plants.

Senita

Barrel Cactus The flowers grow on the top of this

cactus in a circle. Taller barrel cactus will lean towards

their shaded side because the side in the sun grows faster.

Some of the thorns were used by Native Americans as fish hooks.

Do not drink liquid from the barrel cactus, it contains poison that will make you vomit.

Barrel Cactus

Palo Verde Means green stick. Can do photosynthesis using

their branches and their trunks because they contain the green chlorophyll.

During extreme drought, palo verde trees can drop all of their leaves.

Palo Verde

Prickly Pear Cactus The pads of the prickly pear are

flattened ovals. The fruit are bright red and edible.

Another name for the fruit is ‘tuna’. The young pads are also edible and when cooked, they taste like green beans.

The pads store water for the plant, and do photosynthesis.

The flowers last for only one day.

Prickly Pear Cactus

Globemallow Also called the sore eye poppy. The leaves have fine hairs that can

irritate the eyes.

Desert Christmas Cactus Called the Christmas cactus

because the fruits are still on the plant during the holidays.

Cholla Cactus Even though they are commonly called

‘jumping cactus’, they cannot jump. The joints of the plant do break off easily.

The thorns are barbed and difficult to remove once embedded in the skin.

Pack rats take parts of the cholla, and use them to protect their dens.

Chain fruit cholla are named after the chains of fruit that hang down.

Cholla Cactus

Cholla Cactus

Hedgehog Cactus This is the first cactus to bloom

during the spring. The fruits are edible.

SaguaroThe largest of the U.S. cacti. It can take up to 75 years before a saguaro will grow an arm.

They can live over 200 years. The flower is the AZ state flower. The fruits are edible.

Saguaro The saguaro expands like an

accordion when it absorbs water. This is how it stores water. During drought, the saguaro contracts as it loses water.

Bats pollinate it. Holes in the cactus provide

shelter for animals.

Saguaro

Brittlebush This plant can drop most of its

leaves during a drought. The blue/grey color of the leaves

is designed to prevent the plant from getting too much sun.

The leaves are also covered with hairs to block some of the sunlight and prevent water loss.

Brittlebush

Creosote bush The leaves are covered with a

varnish that reduces evaporation.

After it rains, the creosote bush gives off a musty, sweet odor.

The plant produces a resin that was used to fix pottery.

Creosote bush

JojobaThe leaves are oriented vertically so they get sunlight in the morning and late afternoon when the sunlight is not as intense. This prevents too much water loss.

Jojoba

Jojoba The seeds contain oils that are

used in perfumes and shampoos. This oil has been substituted for oil from sperm whales so the whales are not hunted anymore.