native plant entry 1: the joshua tree

i promised i would come back with at least one native plant from my area so here we are!

reigning from the mojave desert, the joshua tree elusively grows in the southwest united states and northwestern mexico. while it vaguely resembles a tree, you'll find it looks very different. these plants(from the yucca genus) are covered in spikes, their branches spreading out into(from what i've observed) four or five sub-branches, the tips of which are green. this is where the trees flower, bulbous and white petals forming(usually) after particularly wet seasons and a cold winter. their flowers are said to have an "unpleasent odor," and typically appear from february to late april. their seed pods are completely edible, and apparently, once dried and sliced, taste like bananas. apparently, mature pods can be roasted and have a "candy sweet taste"(according to the oxford companion to food at least). joshua trees are remarked by wikipedia to be fast growers by desert-plant standards, and grow up to a rate of 7.6 cm( or 3 inches) within their first 10 years! they lack tree's usual annual growth rings, making it hard to discern one's age. their roots have been described as "deep and extensive," and have had roots recorded to descend 11 meters, or 36 feet. they can grow as tall as 15 meters, or a whopping 49 feet! isn't that insane?? big from the top down!

one interesting thing about joshua trees is that thousands of years ago, their seeds were distributed by giant ground sloths! analysis of giant ground sloth dung has found joshua seeds, leaves, and fruits, suggesting that they were key in it's dispersal. it has been suggested that the lack of giant ground sloths has set back its ability to relocate to more favorable environments, as its main distributor has been extinct for around 13,000 years.

that was a good hour and a half or so of research while distracted(watching gilmore girls), so i'll say thats safe to be my very first entry on native plant species. i learned a lot about trees in that time.

sources:

Wikipedia
Mildly Dubious Website