Boojum Tree

Description:

The boojum tree is an unusual plant found native only in the deserts of Baja California and Sonora, Mexico. It is a large succulent closely related to the ocotillo. They are long-lived plants, some are thought to have achieved over 500 years of growth. Fancifully, it resembles a slender upside-down carrot or parsnip, up to 15 metres (50 feet) tall and covered with spiny twigs that bear yellowish flowers in hanging clusters. As with its relative the ocotillo, the small leaves fall early, leaving the greenish stems to carry out food producing photosynthesis. The swollen trunk base is often hollow and provides a habitat for honeybees; the wood is somewhat spongy and retains water.

Habitat:

The Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum is a 98-acre (40 ha) zoo, aquarium, botanical garden, natural history museum, publisher, and art gallery founded in 1952. Located just west of Tucson, Arizona, it features two miles (3.2 km) of walking paths traversing 21 acres (8.5 ha) of desert landscape. The nonprofit organization focuses on the interpretation of the natural history, plants and animals of the Sonoran Desert.

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