Yucca brevifolia. Joshua Tree. Nature's story ~Native to southwestern North America in California, Arizona, Utah and Nevada, and found primarily in the Mojave Desert between 1,300 and 5,900 feet. Growing at the rate of 3 inches annually for their first 10 years and then about 1.5 inches annually after that, they reach a height of 25 feet or more. The tree may appear top heavy but it has an extensive root system that reaches up to 40 feet away. It can live for hundreds of years, and some have survived up to a thousand years.
Yucca brevifolia. Joshua Tree. Man's story ~In the mid-19th century, a group of Mormon settlers crossing the Mojave Desert gave this plant its name. Its shape reminded them of the Biblical story of Joshua reaching his hands upward in prayer. At the time, miners and ranchers in the area used the trunks and branches for fencing and fuel for ore-processing steam engines.
The Cahuilla Native Americans who have lived in the southwestern United States for generations still consider this plant a valuable resource. Their ancestors wove sandals and baskets from its leaves, and ate its seeds and flower buds.
Yucca brevifolia. Joshua Tree. My story ~I've been going to Joshua Tree National Park since 1977. It actually was a California state park back then and became a national park in 1994. I was, and continued to be, attracted to this area by my fascination with the topography, flora and fauna not to mention the exquisite sky and magnficiant views. The Joshua Trees and rock formations are what first captured my attention, and their presence invited me into a world I never knew existed. It is different than any place I had ever been before and it continues to capture my imagination and respect.
(Blogmeister note: photographs by me, information on Joshua Trees from Wikipedia, on the national park at http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/jotr/.)
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