Apr 244 min read

JOSHUA TREE MAGIC DESERT TREE - desert stories

Updated: Sep 14

by Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk

November 29th, 2023

story from the book: Secrets of California Deserts

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JOSHUA TREE - Secrets od California Deserts - Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk

The symbol of the Mojave Desert in Southern California is a distinctive tree called Joshua tree. Due to its unique shape, many legends have grown around it. One of them is that when Mormon immigrants crossed the Colorado River in the mid-19th century, they named the plant after the biblical figure Joshua. The outstretched branches were supposed to remind them of the outstretched hands of Joshua, who led the Israelites into the Promised Land. This unconfirmed story has little to do with reality, but it lives its own life and many believe that how it was.

The first person to describe the Joshua tree was an American explorer, military officer, and politician, Captain John C. Fremont. In a report published in 1845, he called it "the most repulsive tree in the plant kingdom." Unfortunately, the captain was not alone in his perception. Anything different often causes fear in many people, and this makes criticism and segregation emerge.

And the Joshua tree is not an easy tree. It's a gnarled, shaggy, and twisted plant. Its leaves are sharp and spiny. In Spanish, it is referred to by the nickname 'izote de desierto,' meaning 'desert dagger.' You probably don't want to cuddle with it, but it definitely stimulates the imagination and can fascinate.

Wise Mother Nature doesn't do anything by accident. In the world of this Great Goddess, everything has its place and meaning. Everything is a part of everything. It is no coincidence that she chose this unusual shape and this difficult, but oh so beautiful desert scenery, far from the mocking eye of some people, for this unusual tree, which is also her child.

The Joshua tree is a Mojave tree. In addition to Southern California, they can also be found in Arizona, Nevada, Utah and northwestern Mexico. Wherever this desert stretches. It grows only at altitudes between 400 and 1800 m above sea level (1300 to 5900 ft) and only in this one place in the world. In addition, it is the only native tree found in the thousands of square miles of desert plains of Southern California, where it is a very important part of the local ecosystem, providing food and shelter for the many birds, mammals, insects and reptiles that live in the area.

However, although it is called a tree and looks like a tree, Joshua tree, or Yucca brevifolia (short-leaved yucca), is not a tree. This monocot plant is a perennial belonging to the agave family and is considered the largest yucca in the world. It takes 50 to 60 years to reach its full height, with the tallest specimens reaching up to about 15 m (49 ft). However, it is difficult to determine their age, because the Joshua tree does not have the annual growth rings characteristic of each tree. Some researchers claim that the average lifespan of this yucca is 150 years. Others argue that if it survives the hardships of the desert, it can live for several hundred years, and still others say that its lifespan can be as long as 1,000 years.

Long before the arrival of Europeans, the Native Americans who inhabited this area had a spiritual relationship with this plant and greatly appreciated it. It provided them with valuable raw materials needed to survive. The hard leaves were used to make baskets and sandals, while the flower buds and raw or roasted seeds were part of the food. To this day, the Cahuilla Indians call this plant humwichawa or hunuvat chiy'a, the southern Paiute tribes sovarampi, and the western Shoshone, umpu.

Farmers, miners, and the aforementioned Mormon settlers who arrived in the area in the mid-19th century used the trunks and branches of the Joshua tree as a material for fences and other structures, as well as fuel for steam engines used to process ore. Yucca brevifolia is a very picky plant.

It only blooms from February to April and only in years when there is enough rain. What's more, the flowers may not appear until after the winter frosts. But when they appear, they look beautiful. They are white-green or cream-yellow in color, bell-shaped, and are gathered in clusters. However, you should be attentive if you would like to get closer, as their smell can be very unpleasant. Some describe it as foul-smelling.

The fruits are green or brown in color, oval, fleshy and filled with seeds. If the small rodents do not eat them, they dry out and fall to the ground. The wind disperses the seeds, and the rain causes them to grow new plants.

Water is life, and although the Joshua tree is a desert plant, its survival depends on rainfall that comes at the right time. The biggest threat to the Joshua tree is fires, which can destroy millions of specimens in a short period of time. According to California law, this plant is protected. One of the popular places to see this unusual yucca is Joshua Tree National Park, which got its name from it.

The fascination with Yucca brevifolia began in 1987 when the Irish band U2 released their fifth studio album entitled 'Joshua Tree.' This brought the eyes of the world to this desert plant, which was rediscovered, but in a different way than Captain John C. Fremont did. Now Joshua tree charms and attracts with its otherness, and slightly strange, perhaps grotesque, and at the same time magical appearance, against the background of a desert landscape, still ignites the imagination of many. Among them, there are also those for whom the Joshua tree is a symbol of strength and beauty, which can result from being different.

Trees speak. The Joshua tree also tells a story. And it's a beautiful story of perseverance, of survival, of resilience, of falling and rising. A story of humility and the strength that comes with it. History of life. The story of each of us, although told a little differently.

©Katarzyna Nowocin-Kowalczyk (Catherine)

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