Ocotillo in full bloom

• 6 Jul, 2008
• 6 likes

Beautiful blossoms of ocotillo - not a cactus but sort of close - the ocotillo stores up water during rainy season and canserves by staying brown-no green leaves or flowers until it again rains, and then like overnight it blooms and then puts on green leaves, you can see both in this pix. If it doesn't rain for several years, it just waits for more water - and in so doing keeps alive using the stored water from the previous rain. The spines are VERY prickly like thorns so not many animals can eat them. Amazing!!