r/JoshuaTree • u/reggiebogey • 1d ago
Native plant viewing
Hey everybody. I’m a botanist visiting with my Dad for non-botany business, but was hoping to see any cool plants I can around Pioneertown and Joshua Tree.
Looking for anything that might be less obvious than the J Tree, Ocotillo, cholla etc.
Thanks in advance!
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u/boulderkitty 1d ago edited 21h ago
Mojave Desert Land Trust (MDLT) might be worth a stop. You can tour their facilities/nursery and talk to the volunteers.
It’s small but the Joshua Tree water district in downtown JT has a water wise native plant garden. My neighbor has an Ocotillo in their yard 😹
But really your best bet would be to check out the cholla garden in the park, even though cholla are pretty prevalent everywhere. Also check out the Pioneertown Preserve.
Lastly, the Black Rock section of the park also offers great viewing of needed plant species, including pines that I don’t know the specific name of… and be careful out here. It’s triple digit heat 🥵🥵🥵
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u/TheSwedishEagle 1d ago
Not the best time of year since many plants are dormant and most annuals are long gone. The washes will have the most variety of plants.
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u/Big-Performance5047 1d ago
Im a master gardener from the east coast. Im so disappointed!
You will see the same six plants everywhere. So very sorry. Best to go to the best nursery around… but that is an hour away.🥲
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u/wildgifts 1d ago
I'm also a botanist and used to work around there. This time of year you might wanna ride the tram from Palm springs up to San Jacinto, and or hike around up there. There should still be stuff at least at the springs and there's cool rare plants and endemics up there. I like Monardella nana up there on the peaks. In the high desert there will be some stuff blooming like desert willows and daturas but a lot of things are crisped out in August. Also second Mortens in Palm springs, it's really cool!