Difference between revisions of "Ocotillo"

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{{Taxobox
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{{SPlantbox
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| color = lightgreen
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|familia=Fouquieriaceae
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| name = Ocotillo
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|genus=Fouquieria
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| image = Ocotillo02262006.JPG
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|species=splendens
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| image_width = 250px
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|common_name=Ocotillo, desert coral, coachwhip, Jacob's staff, vine cactus
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| image_caption = Ocotillos near [[Palm Springs, California]]
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|name_ref=Wikipedia
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| regnum = [[Plant]]ae
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|habit=cacti-succulent
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| divisio = [[Flowering plant|Magnoliophyta]]
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|habit_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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| classis = [[Magnoliopsida]]
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|Max ht box=30
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| ordo = [[Ericales]]
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|Max ht metric=ft
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| familia = [[Fouquieria]]ceae
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|height_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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| genus = ''[[Fouquieria]]''
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|Max wd box=6
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| species = '''''F. splendens'''''
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|Max wd metric=ft
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| binomial = ''Fouquieria splendens''
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|width_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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| binomial_authority = [[George Engelmann|Engelm.]]
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|lifespan=perennial
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|life_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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|exposure=sun
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|sun_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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|features=flowers
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|flower_season=early spring, mid spring, late spring, early summer, mid summer, late summer
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|flower_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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|flowers=red, pink
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|Temp Metric=°F
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|min_zone=7
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|usda_ref=Flora - A Gardener's Encyclopedia ISBN 0881925381
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|max_zone=11
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|image=Ocotillo02262006.JPG
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|image_width=180
 
}}
 
}}
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{{for|the census-designated place|Ocotillo, California}}
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'''''Fouquieria splendens''''' Engelm. is a curious and unique [[desert]] [[plant]] of the [[southwestern United States]] and northern [[Mexico]]. Common names include '''ocotillo''', '''desert coral''', '''coachwhip''', '''Jacob's staff''', and '''vine cactus''', although it is not a [[cactaceae|true cactus]]. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the [[Plant stem|stems]] are partly green.  With rainfall the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2-4 cm) ovate [[Leaf|leaves]], which may remain for weeks or even months.
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The '''ocotillo''' (''[[Fouquieria]] splendens'' - also called the '''coachwhip''', '''Jacob's staff''', and the '''vine cactus''') is a curious, and unique [[desert]] [[plant]] of the [[southwestern United States]] and northern [[Mexico]]. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the [[Plant stem|stems]] are partly green.  With rainfall the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2-4 cm) ovate [[Leaf|leaves]], which may remain for weeks or even months.
 
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[[Image:Ocotillo-with-bee.jpg|thumb|left|280px|Ocotillo flower with a bee above — Tucson, AZ]]
 
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The stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m.  The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that the branches are pole-like and only infrequently divide further, and 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 red [[flower]]s appear in spring and summer, occurring as a group of small tube shapes at the tip of the stem.
 
  
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Ocotillo poles are a common [[fence|fencing]] material in their native region, and often take root to form a living fence. Owing to light weight and an interesting pattern, these have been used for canes or walking sticks.
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Individual stems may reach a diameter of 5 cm at the base, and the plant may grow to a height of 10 m. The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that the branches are pole-like and only infrequently divide further, and 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.  
  
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The bright crimson [[flower]]s appear especially after rainfall in spring, summer, and occasionally fall.  Flowers are clustered indeterminantly at the tips of each mature stem.  Individual flowers are mildly zygomorphic and are [[pollination|pollinated]] by [[hummingbird]]s and native  [[carpenter bee]]s.
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{{Inc|
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Fouquieria splendens, Engelm. Coach-Whip. Vine-Cactus. Jacob's Staff. Ocotillo. Shrub, 6-25 ft., branching near the base: branches long, gray, furrowed, erect: Ivs. obovate, rounded at apex, wedge-shaped at base, ½ -l in. long: fls. scarlet or brick-red, exceeding 1 in. long, in racemose or thyrsoid elongated clusters; stamens 8-12, exserted: caps. 1/2 – 2/3 in. long, the seeds white, with a long fringe of spirally thickened hairs. W. Texas and Ariz, to 8. Calif. B.M. 8318. A.G. 13:759.—A hedge plant in Mex., making an impenetrable barrier. The plant is a conspicuous object in the deserts from Texas westward, standing on the open exposed places and slopes, the rod-like stiff canes looking like lifeless sticks in dry weather and in its season crowned with masses of showy bloom.
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{{SCH}}
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}}
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==Cultivation==
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'''Plant Selection.''' Planting ocotillo can be done the year around with care.  Ideall ocotillo plants have been grown from stem cuttings or 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.
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'''Soil.''' Ocotillo plants prefer well drained sandy or gravely loam soils with light to moderate amounts of organic content.  For caliche subsoil, break a hole through it so the plant has adequate drainage. 
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'''Location.''' Sunny, open, unrestricted locations and those where surface water does not collect are ideal for ocotillo.
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'''Planting.''' To help prevent a newly transplanted ocotillo from falling over or blowing down in a storm, large stones may be placed over the root area instead of staking, which often scars the stems.  Leave two to four inches space around the trunk. Some degree of growth set-back is to be expected. Properly transplanted, however, this native plant will reestablish itself fairly quickly.
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'''Water.'''  Transplanted ocotillo plants require irrigation to become established, but once established, they can survive on 8 inches of rainfall per year.
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 +
'''Fertilizer.'''  A well-balanced fertilizer at half strength will help ocotillo to grow faster.  This will usually stimulate plant growth and vigor. However, do not apply fertilizer to newly transplanted plants. When using any fertilizer, apply it evenly to the soil surface over the rooting area and water well into the soil.  Do not risk overfertilizing; this plant is adapted to harsh conditions without added fertilizer.
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'''Caution.''' State plant protection laws are enforced; contact the state Department of Agriculture for specific regulations, restrictions, permits, penalties, etc. before digging and moving any cacti, agaves, ocotillos, yuccas, or other protected species.  Purchased plants should be from a reputable source.
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===Propagation===
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{{edit-prop}}<!--- Type propagation info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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===Pests and diseases===
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{{edit-pests}}<!--- Type pest/disease info below this line, then delete this entire line -->
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==Varieties==
 
Three [[subspecies]] are accepted by some botanists:
 
Three [[subspecies]] are accepted by some botanists:
 
*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''splendens''
 
*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''splendens''
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*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''campanulata'' ([[George Valentine Nash|Nash]]) Henrickson
 
*''Fouquieria splendens'' subsp. ''campanulata'' ([[George Valentine Nash|Nash]]) Henrickson
  
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==References==
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==Gallery==
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*[http://ucjeps.berkeley.edu/cgi-bin/get_JM_treatment.pl?4359,4360,0,4361 Jepson Flora Project: ''Fouquiera splendens'']
 
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*[http://calphotos.berkeley.edu/cgi/img_query?query_src=ucjeps&where-genre=Plant&where-taxon=Fouquieria+splendens Calphotos: ''Fouquiera splendens'']
 
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<gallery>
 
<gallery>
 
Image:Ocotillo_leaves-300px.jpg|Closeup of ocotillo leaves.
 
Image:Ocotillo_leaves-300px.jpg|Closeup of ocotillo leaves.
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Image:Ocotilloflower02262006.JPG|Closeup of ocotillo flowers. Taken in [[Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]]
 
Image:Ocotilloflower02262006.JPG|Closeup of ocotillo flowers. Taken in [[Anza-Borrego Desert State Park]]
 
Image:Ocotillo-600.jpg|Ocotillo covered with rare [[snow]] in [[Tucson]]
 
Image:Ocotillo-600.jpg|Ocotillo covered with rare [[snow]] in [[Tucson]]
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Image:Ocotillo.jpg|Ocotillo in full bloom. Taken near Lookout Mountain, [[Phoenix, AZ]]
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Image:Ocotillo.jpg|Ocotillo in full bloom.
 
</gallery>
 
</gallery>
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{{commons|Fouquieria splendens}}
 
  
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[[Category:Ericales]]
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==References==
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[[Category:Flora of California]]
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*[[Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture]], by L. H. Bailey, MacMillan Co., 1963
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[[Category:Flora of the Sonoran Desert]]
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<!--- xxxxx  *Flora: The Gardener's Bible, by Sean Hogan. Global Book Publishing, 2003. ISBN 0881925381  -->
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[[Category:Flora of Southwestern United States]]
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<!--- xxxxx  *American Horticultural Society: A-Z Encyclopedia of Garden Plants, by Christopher Brickell, Judith D. Zuk. 1996. ISBN 0789419432  -->
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<!--- xxxxx  *Sunset National Garden Book. Sunset Books, Inc., 1997. ISBN 0376038608  -->
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==External links==
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*{{wplink}}
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 +
{{stub}}
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__NOTOC__

Latest revision as of 17:14, 3 August 2010


Ocotillo02262006.JPG


Plant Characteristics
Habit   cacti-succulent

Height: ⇕ 30 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 30.
Width: ⇔ 6 ft"ft" can not be assigned to a declared number type with value 6.
Lifespan: ⌛ perennial
Bloom: ❀ early spring, mid spring, late spring, early summer, mid summer, late summer
Cultivation
Exposure: ☼ sun
Features: ✓ flowers
USDA Zones: 7 to 11
Flower features: ❀ red, pink
Scientific Names

Fouquieriaceae >

Fouquieria >

splendens >


Fouquieria splendens Engelm. is a curious and unique desert plant of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. Common names include ocotillo, desert coral, coachwhip, Jacob's staff, and vine cactus, although it is not a true cactus. 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, 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. The plant branches very heavily at its base, but above that the branches are pole-like and only infrequently divide further, and 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 indeterminantly at the tips of each mature stem. Individual flowers are mildly zygomorphic and are pollinated by hummingbirds and native carpenter bees.


Read about Ocotillo in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture 

Fouquieria splendens, Engelm. Coach-Whip. Vine-Cactus. Jacob's Staff. Ocotillo. Shrub, 6-25 ft., branching near the base: branches long, gray, furrowed, erect: Ivs. obovate, rounded at apex, wedge-shaped at base, ½ -l in. long: fls. scarlet or brick-red, exceeding 1 in. long, in racemose or thyrsoid elongated clusters; stamens 8-12, exserted: caps. 1/2 – 2/3 in. long, the seeds white, with a long fringe of spirally thickened hairs. W. Texas and Ariz, to 8. Calif. B.M. 8318. A.G. 13:759.—A hedge plant in Mex., making an impenetrable barrier. The plant is a conspicuous object in the deserts from Texas westward, standing on the open exposed places and slopes, the rod-like stiff canes looking like lifeless sticks in dry weather and in its season crowned with masses of showy bloom. CH


The above text is from the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture. It may be out of date, but still contains valuable and interesting information which can be incorporated into the remainder of the article. Click on "Collapse" in the header to hide this text.


Cultivation

Plant Selection. Planting ocotillo can be done the year around with care. Ideall ocotillo plants have been grown from stem cuttings or 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.

Soil. Ocotillo plants prefer well drained sandy or gravely loam soils with light to moderate amounts of organic content. For caliche subsoil, break a hole through it so the plant has adequate drainage.

Location. Sunny, open, unrestricted locations and those where surface water does not collect are ideal for ocotillo.

Planting. To help prevent a newly transplanted ocotillo from falling over or blowing down in a storm, large stones may be placed over the root area instead of staking, which often scars the stems. Leave two to four inches space around the trunk. Some degree of growth set-back is to be expected. Properly transplanted, however, this native plant will reestablish itself fairly quickly.

Water. Transplanted ocotillo plants require irrigation to become established, but once established, they can survive on 8 inches of rainfall per year.

Fertilizer. A well-balanced fertilizer at half strength will help ocotillo to grow faster. This will usually stimulate plant growth and vigor. However, do not apply fertilizer to newly transplanted plants. When using any fertilizer, apply it evenly to the soil surface over the rooting area and water well into the soil. Do not risk overfertilizing; this plant is adapted to harsh conditions without added fertilizer.

Caution. State plant protection laws are enforced; contact the state Department of Agriculture for specific regulations, restrictions, permits, penalties, etc. before digging and moving any cacti, agaves, ocotillos, yuccas, or other protected species. Purchased plants should be from a reputable source.

Propagation

Do you have propagation info on this plant? Edit this section!

Pests and diseases

Do you have pest and disease info on this plant? Edit this section!

Varieties

Three subspecies are accepted by some botanists:

  • Fouquieria splendens subsp. splendens
  • Fouquieria splendens subsp. breviflora Henrickson
  • Fouquieria splendens subsp. campanulata (Nash) Henrickson

Gallery

References

External links


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