Native Plants of Joshua Tree National Park

Wildflowers, Palms and Desert Cacti of the Mojave Desert

Sep 28, 2009

Joshua Tree National Park is home to many desert plant species, in addition to the Joshua tree; Joshua Tree National Park is remarkable for its wide diversity of plants.

Joshua Tree National Park is located in the Mojave desert in California; it is 175 miles north east of San Diego, 215 miles south west of Las Vegas and 140 miles east of Los Angeles. Joshua Tree National Park became a national monument in 1936, became a national park in 1994 and comprises of over 550,000 acres of wilderness.

The Joshua Tree National Park takes its name from the infamous Joshua tree; however, one of the names originally considered was Desert Plants National Park because of the large diversity of plants to be found in the area (there are over 700 species of vascular plants). Today, a visit to Joshua Tree National Park may result in the sighting of wildflowers, desert cacti, succulents and cryptobiotic crusts.

The Desert Ecology of Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park rises in elevation from 900 feet to 5,000 feet and covers three of California's eco-regions; a wide diversity of plant life exists in a landscape of sand dunes, mountains, rocks and some surprising oases. In Spring, the area may be a mass of wildflowers, depending on the rainfall quota of the previous year.

Joshua Tree National Park is located in the Mojave desert, in an area known as rain shadow desert; put simply, this means that rain is often blocked by the mountain ranges in the area and subsequently a desert ecology is formed. However, like many desert regions in the South West, heavy, tropical rains can occur during late August and September.

Wildflowers of Joshua Tree National Park

Wildflower season in Joshua Tree National Park is dependent on both elevation and precipitation levels; wildflowers at higher levels may bloom as late as early Summer whereas wildflowers at lower elevations may bloom as early as February. If precipitation levels have been sufficient throughout the Fall and Winter months and temperatures begin to rise in Spring, wildflowers will generally be seen throughout the Spring months.

Desert Cacti and Succulents of Joshua Tree National Park

The desert ecology of Joshua Tree National Park provides the perfect growing conditions for many desert cacti and succulents which require minimal rain fall; cacti species found in Joshua Tree National Park include:

Cryptobiotic Crusts of Joshua Tree National Park

Cryptobiotic crusts are sometimes known as desert glue and often go unnoticed by visitors to Joshua Tree National Park; cryptobiotic crusts are almost 'invisible' to the average human hiker and are the hidden organisms of Joshua Tree National Park. However, they are vital to the desert ecology; cryptobiotic crusts essentially hold the soil together and protect the area from erosion threats such as wind and rain. Heavy foot and vehicle traffic to Joshua Tree National Park is a threat to cryptobiotic crusts, especially when visitors wander from designated trails and roads.

Fan Palm Oases of Joshua Tree National Park

In the middle of a seemingly 'barren' desert, there are five natural areas of fan palm oases in the Joshua Tree National Park ; the native desert fan palm, Washingtonia filifera, is found here and survives from underground water forced to the surface along rock, fault lines. Fan Palm oases are a fragile part of the desert ecology system and provide sustenance and shelter for many desert animals including coyotes, Gambel's quail and bighorn sheep.

The Threat to Native Plants in Joshua Tree National Park

Native plant species in Joshua Tree National Park are often threatened by outside environmental factors; Joshua Tree National Park was created in order to protect the native plant species, desert ecological systems and wild life species of the area. Environmental factors which may threaten native plants of Joshua Tree National park include:

Need-to-Know Information for Visiting Joshua Tree National Park

The following information may of use to visitors planning a visit to Joshua Tree National Park:

References and Resources:

The copyright of the article Native Plants of Joshua Tree National Park in Plant Ecology is owned by Sharon Falsetto. Permission to republish Native Plants of Joshua Tree National Park in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.