Joshua Tree National Park - The Joshua Trees

     Joshua Tree National Park is about an hour east of Palm Springs.  Joshua Tree became a national park in 1994 when congress passed the California Desert Protection Act.  From 1936 to 1994, this area was a U.S. National Monument.  The park covers parts of two deserts, the Colorado Desert and the Mojave Desert.  The Mojave Desert is at a higher elevation, and the Colorado Desert is at a lower elevation.  The vegetation is distinctly different in the two areas. The Joshua tree, from which the whole tract gets it's name, grows abundantly in the Mojave, but only appears occasionally in the Colorado.  The two most impressive things in the park are the Joshua trees and the rock formations.
     The Joshua tree is a member of the yucca family.  The plant was named by Mormon settlers. Some say the upturned branches reminded the Saints of Joshua's arms raised in prayer.  Others say the branches, which sometimes twist in the direction of the prevailing winds, pointed the direction that travelers should go - like Joshua leading the way to Canaan.

Lots and Lots of Joshua Trees

While trying to get this shot ...

... I managed to back up into one of these.  Ouchy!

Joshua trees can grow from seeds, as this one probably did.  Mature trees flower, producing seeds, from February through late April if there has been enough rain at the proper time.  There also has to be a winter freeze before the flowering.  They don't flower every year.  

If all the conditions were just right, the tree produces branches after flowering.

The trees also reproduce by putting up new sprouts.  These sprouts come from underground  rhyizomes that spread from the original tree.

The trees are top heavy.  The roots can support this because they can go down as far as 36 feet.  The tallest trees can reach 49 feet and can live from hundreds to thousands of years. 

Joshua trees don't have growth rings, just thousands of fibers.  The wood is light weight compared to the oak logs I've had to haul out of my yard after a storm.