Some Other Plants

Trees are not the only sort of plant you are likely to see in most Arizona landscapes. Here we describe five types of plants you are almost sure to see in all but the highest locations.

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is common in low foothills and deserts. It has long slender "branches", which may stick up 6 or more feet from a common root. The sticks are covered their entire length with "thorns". In the spring and after summer rains start, the branches are covered with tiny green leaves. These are shed when dry conditions return. The plant flowers brilliant red blossoms at the tips of the branches.

Beargrass (Nolina microcarpa) forms dense, coarse clumps several feet across of stringy grass-like leaves. Individual leaves may be two or so feet long. They generally flop over so that the tips are near the ground. In the spring or after summer rains start, each clump produces a tall stalk that looks like a giant, stiff, squirrel tail.
Yucca (Yucca sp.) generally have a thick, brownish "trunk", several inches in diameter of very shaggy dried leaf material. Long green, sharply pointed leaves emerge from the top. At blooming time, a tall stalk/clump of large, white showy flowers sprouts out of the leaves. There are many types of yucca.
Agave or Century Plant (Agave sp.) Many types of agave grow throughout the southwest desert regions and up high into the mountains. Agaves have a rosette of long broad leaves with extremely sharp tips and sharp teeth along the leaf edges. They begin life as a small rosette of stiff, sharp leaves and grow in size for many years. On reaching maturity, they grow a tall stalk that looks at first much like a huge asparagus stalk. The stalk subsequently puts out small side-branches on which the flowers develop.

Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) or Desert Spoon forms a clump of long, thin, stiff leaves that sprout from a common base. The leaf edges are finely, but sharply, toothed. Like Beargrass, it blooms by producing a tall spike with a flower clump at the top. Unlike agaves, Sotol blooms year after year.

	Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is common in low foothills and deserts. It has long slender "branches", which may stick up 6 or more feet from a common root. The sticks are covered their entire length with "thorns". In the spring and after summer rains start, the branches are covered with tiny green leaves. These are shed when dry conditions return. The plant flowers brilliant red blossoms at the tips of the branches.
	Beargrass (Nolina microcarpa) forms dense, coarse clumps several feet across of stringy grass-like leaves. Individual leaves may be two or so feet long. They generally flop over so that the tips are near the ground. In the spring or after summer rains start, each clump produces a tall stalk that looks like a giant, stiff, squirrel tail.
	Yucca (Yucca sp.) generally have a thick, brownish "trunk", several inches in diameter of very shaggy dried leaf material. Long green, sharply pointed leaves emerge from the top. At blooming time, a tall stalk/clump of large, white showy flowers sprouts out of the leaves. There are many types of yucca.
	Agave or Century Plant (Agave sp.) Many types of agave grow throughout the southwest desert regions and up high into the mountains. Agaves have a rosette of long broad leaves with extremely sharp tips and sharp teeth along the leaf edges. They begin life as a small rosette of stiff, sharp leaves and grow in size for many years. On reaching maturity, they grow a tall stalk that looks at first much like a huge asparagus stalk. The stalk subsequently puts out small side-branches on which the flowers develop.
	Sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri) or Desert Spoon forms a clump of long, thin, stiff leaves that sprout from a common base. The leaf edges are finely, but sharply, toothed. Like Beargrass, it blooms by producing a tall spike with a flower clump at the top. Unlike agaves, Sotol blooms year after year.