Gary
Cholla Cacti
Several species of this cactus is common in the Mojave Desert at Red Rock Canyon. Its needle like leaves also reduces loss of moisture through transpiration and its roots are adept at collecting what little rain falls. It produces fruit eaten by big-horn sheep, chipmunks and rabbits. Birds like to nest in this shrub; […]
Mojave Rabbitbrush
It is autumn and the Mojave Desert at Red Rock Canyon is ablaze in yellow from the blooming of the Mojave Rabbitbrush shrub. When a plant has such showy flowers, it is trying to attract insects to pollinate it. Bees, flies and butterflies come to the flowers to sip nectar and in doing so the […]
Mojave Yucca
This is a common plant of the Mojave Desert where, like many other plants, it has adapted to the water scarce ecosystem. With thick waxy coatings to its leaves to reduce loss of water through transpiration and thick roots to store water, this plant thrives in rocky slopes and mesas of the desert.
Beavertail Cactus
This is a low spreading plant of dry, rocky slopes in the Mojave Desert at Red Rock Canyon. It is well adapted to grow in the parched desert environment. As with other desert cacti, this plant’s leaves are spines. These thorny leaves have less surface area than broad leaves of deciduous plants. This reduces water loss […]
The Joshua Tree – A Desert Survivalist
The Joshua tree, named by Mormon pioneers after their prophet, is the signature plant of the Mojave Desert. This is the only place in the world it is found. It is an evergreen plant that can reach a height of 40 feet and live for upwards of 200 years. It endures the harsh, dry desert […]
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