Ocotillo

Fouquieria splendens, the ocotillo, is a succulent shrub in the Fouquieriaceae and the most widespread species in its genus, native to the Mojave, Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of the south-western United States (southern California, southern Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas) and northern to central Mexico. It grows on dry, rocky hills, slopes and plains from sea level to 1,500 m. It reaches 2.5–6 m (rarely 10 m), with a few to dozens of straight, spiny stems rising from a short, stout base. The stems are about 6 cm thick at the base and have chlorophyll in the bark, so they photosynthesize while leafless. After rain, clusters of leaves appear from short shoots within about 48 hours and fall again as the soil dries, a cycle that can repeat several times a year; on long shoots the leaf stalks harden into spines. Red to orange-red tubular flowers are clustered at the stem tips and pollinated by hummingbirds and carpenter bees. The name ocotillo comes from the Nahuatl for "torch". Subspecies include the typical splendens (flower tube 7–22 mm), breviflora (6–10 mm) and campanulata from Durango, Mexico (5–9 mm, pink to deep purple or creamy white). It closely resembles the Madagascan Alluaudia procera but is unrelated. In Japan plants labelled with subspecies names, and seed, are sold online.

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The Ocotillo lives Long-lived shrub taking 60–100 years to mature.

The Ocotillo grows to 2.5–6 m (rarely 10 m) tall; stems about 6 cm thick at the base.

Light feeding in the growing season