''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 The Sonoran Desert ( es, Desierto de Sonora) is a desert in North America and ecoregion that covers the northwestern Mexican states of Sonora, Baja California, and Baja California Sur, as well as part of the southwestern United States (in Arizona ...

and

Chihuahuan Desert The Chihuahuan Desert ( es, Desierto de Chihuahua, ) is a desert ecoregion designation covering parts of northern Mexico and the southwestern United States. It occupies much of far West Texas, the middle to lower Rio Grande Valley and the lower P ...

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 ...

in the Southwestern United States (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas), and northern Mexico (as far south as

Hidalgo Hidalgo may refer to: People * Hidalgo (nobility), members of the Spanish nobility * Hidalgo (surname) Places Mexico * Hidalgo (state), in central Mexico * Hidalgo, Coahuila, a town in the north Mexican state of Coahuila * Hidalgo, Nuevo L ...

and

Guerrero Guerrero is one of the 32 states that comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 81 municipalities and its capital city is Chilpancingo and its largest city is Acapulcocopied from article, GuerreroAs of 2020, Guerrero the popu ...

). While semi- succulent and a desert plant, Ocotillo is more closely related to

tea Tea is an aromatic beverage prepared by pouring hot or boiling water over cured or fresh leaves of ''Camellia sinensis'', an evergreen shrub native to East Asia which probably originated in the borderlands of southwestern China and norther ...

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, b ...

than to

cactus A cactus (, or less commonly, cactus) is a member of the plant family Cactaceae, a family comprising about 127 genera with some 1750 known species of the order Caryophyllales. The word ''cactus'' derives, through Latin, from the Ancient Gree ...

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

, 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 Floral symmetry describes whether, and how, a flower, in particular its perianth, can be divided into two or more identical or mirror-image parts. Uncommonly, flowers may have no axis of symmetry at all, typically because their parts are spirall ...

and are

pollinated Pollination is the transfer of pollen from an anther of a plant to the stigma of a plant, later enabling fertilisation and the production of seeds, most often by an animal or by wind. Pollinating agents can be animals such as insects, birds, a ...

by hummingbirds and native

carpenter bee Carpenter bees are species in the genus ''Xylocopa'' of the subfamily Xylocopinae. The genus includes some 500 bees in 31 subgenera. The common name "carpenter bee" derives from their nesting behavior; nearly all species burrow into hard plant m ...

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 A hedge or hedgerow is a line of closely spaced shrubs and sometimes trees, planted and trained to form a barrier or to mark the boundary of an area, such as between neighbouring properties. Hedges that are used to separate a road from adjoini ...

. * Due to their light weight and interesting pattern, ocotillo branches have been used for canes or

walking stick A walking stick or walking cane is a device used primarily to aid walking, provide postural stability or support, or assist in maintaining a good posture. Some designs also serve as a fashion accessory, or are used for self-defense. Walking st ...

s. * 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, e ...

tincture A tincture is typically an extract of plant or animal material dissolved in ethanol (ethyl alcohol). Solvent concentrations of 25–60% are common, but may run as high as 90%.Groot Handboek Geneeskrachtige Planten by Geert Verhelst In chemistr ...

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 The mesentery is an organ that attaches the intestines to the posterior abdominal wall in humans and is formed by the double fold of peritoneum. It helps in storing fat and allowing blood vessels, lymphatics, and nerves to supply the intestin ...

lymph system The lymphatic system, or lymphoid system, is an organ system in vertebrates that is part of the immune system, and complementary to the circulatory system. It consists of a large network of lymphatic vessels, lymph nodes, lymphatic or lymphoid o ...

by way of the

lacteal A lacteal is a lymphatic capillary that absorbs dietary fats in the villi of the small intestine. Triglycerides are emulsified by bile and hydrolyzed by the enzyme lipase, resulting in a mixture of fatty acids, di- and monoglycerides. These ...

s 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. * Native Americans place the flowers and roots of ocotillo over fresh wounds to slow

bleeding Bleeding, hemorrhage, haemorrhage or blood loss, is blood escaping from the circulatory system from damaged blood vessels. Bleeding can occur internally, or externally either through a natural opening such as the mouth, nose, ear, urethra, v ...

. * Ocotillo is also used to alleviate coughing, achy limbs,

varicose veins Varicose veins, also known as varicoses, are a medical condition in which superficial veins become enlarged and twisted. These veins typically develop in the legs, just under the skin. Varicose veins usually cause few symptoms. However, some indiv ...

, urinary tract infections,

cervical In anatomy, cervical is an adjective that has two meanings: # of or pertaining to any neck. # of or pertaining to the female cervix: i.e., the ''neck'' of the uterus. *Commonly used medical phrases involving the neck are **cervical collar **cervic ...

varicosities, and benign prostate growths.

Subspecies

The three subspecies are: *''F. s. splendens'' Engelm. *''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 The Santa Rita Mountains (O'odham: To:wa Kuswo Doʼag), located about 65 km (40 mi) southeast of Tucson, Arizona, extend 42 km (26 mi) from north to south, then trending southeast. They merge again southeastwards into the Pat ...

of Arizona File:Ocotillo leaves-300px.jpg, Closeup of ocotillo leaves File:Ocotillothron02262006.JPG, Closeup of ocotillo thorns in

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Anza-Borrego Desert State Park (, '' AN-zə bə-RAY-goh'') is a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of southern California, United States. The park takes its name from 18th century Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and ...

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 , "(at the) base of the black ill , nicknames = "The Old Pueblo", "Optics Valley", "America's biggest small town" , image_map = , mapsize = 260px , map_caption = Interactive map ...

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 The Tucson Mountains (O'odham: Cuk Doʼag) are a minor mountain range west of Tucson, Arizona. The Tucson Mountains, including Wasson Peak, are one of four notable mountain ranges surrounding the Tucson Basin. The Santa Catalina Mountains lie ...

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 City of Rocks State Park is a state park in New Mexico, consisting of large sculptured rock formations in the shape of pinnacles or boulders rising as high as . Geology The bedrock forming City of Rocks was created 34.9 million years ago by a v ...

'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