First visit to Joshua Tree Nat. Park

[7george]

The Park is huge and views are fantastic. At many sites it looked like ancient giants had been practising there on megalithic construction.





Of course I was interested in cacti growing there. No blooming ones I found just some forming buttons.

Cylindropuntia ramosissima.


Echinocereus triglochidiatus.


Opuntia chlorotica.

Most common species is Echinocereus engelmannii.


With all colour of spines that exist.



Cylindropuntia echinocarpa.


At least three species of Yucca.



Beavertail cactus.

[7george]

I saw in the park almost all species I expected but most interesting one I encountered was Escobaria alversonii.


It was growing at open sandy places often next to hedgehog cacti.







Kind of natural stone pot.


Fuzzy barrel cacti also made a show there.



Unknown succulent.


Some sites looked as natural cactus gardens.


Not all is desert, here is one oasis with palms, water and even frogs.

[A_G_R]

Fantastic place!

[Tom in Tucson]

Great looking images. The succulent might be a Dudleya saxosa.

[zpeckler]

Awesome Mojave flora! You didn't happen to see either of the two native Mammillaria species, did you?

[Steve Johnson]

Great photos, and those barrel cacti are stunning!

[7george]

Awesome Mojave flora! You didn't happen to see either of the two native Mammillaria species, did you?

No, I didn't. Which ones do you mean?

[7george]

Great photos, and those barrel cacti are stunning!

Thanks!
You are right about barrels...



Someone tried to protect this one, but the spot is not very promising.


This one was on a rock diet.

[MrXeric]

Awesome Mojave flora! You didn't happen to see either of the two native Mammillaria species, did you?

No, I didn't. Which ones do you mean?

Probably referring to Cochemiea tetrancistra. I don't think any other Mammillaria (in California they're all Cochemiea now...) occurs in the area. Maybe dioica, but I think those grow further south and I think grahamii only occurs to the extreme east of the state, on the border with Arizona.

[C And D]

I spent my long youth going to Joshua Tree almost every weekend from Fall to Spring-Rock Climbing
from 1975-1995
Did a bunch of first ascents and wrote a Bouldering Guide that included it.
Hiked around every part of it, truly a wonderland

Now I do club presentations on the Succulents of Joshua Tree and Orange County
The Cochemiea are hard to find these days, M. dioca does not occur there
The area I always recommend to see is at the end of Desert Queen Mine Rd.
Furry Opuntias, Dudleya saxosa

And of course the Ocotillo Garden and Cholla Patch

[zpeckler]

Awesome Mojave flora! You didn't happen to see either of the two native Mammillaria species, did you?

No, I didn't. Which ones do you mean?

Hey, sorry for the delay in reply.

Mammillaria tetrancistra and dioica. JT is smack dab in tetrancistra's range, which extends north up through Death Valley almost into the White Mountains. JT is a little north for dioica--which is more often seen a little to the south in Anza Borrega or on the coast around San Diego--but CalFlora has its range up to about the southern border of JT. Both are cool species! I especially like dioica's flowers.

I guess if you wanna get technical Mammillaria grahamii also grows in CA, but it's in such a small sliver by the Parker Dam just over the border with AZ that it's hard to think of it as a significant CA species in my mind.

[7george]

Hey, sorry for the delay in reply.

Mammillaria tetrancistra and dioica. JT is smack dab in tetrancistra's range, which extends north up through Death Valley almost into the White Mountains. JT is a little north for dioica--which is more often seen a little to the south in Anza Borrega or on the coast around San Diego--but CalFlora has its range up to about the southern border of JT. Both are cool species! I especially like dioica's flowers.

I guess if you wanna get technical Mammillaria grahamii also grows in CA, but it's in such a small sliver by the Parker Dam just over the border with AZ that it's hard to think of it as a significant CA species in my mind.

Well, I had no chance to do hikes from the southern entrance of the Park. So, I haven't seen any Mammillaria or cotton-ball cactus that probably grow somewhere there. M. tetrancistra is hard to spot even in Anza-Borrego if not in bloom. Down here are two older photos of it made in October.
https://live.staticflickr.com/3766/1046 ... da27_h.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/2851/1046 ... 21ac_b.jpg

[C And D]

Here is a collection of photos of some of the Joshua Tree NM Cactus
March is way too early for Cactus flowers
Late April/May is best


Coryphantha alversonii

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Mammillaria tetrancistra

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Echinocactus polycephalus

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Ferocactus cylindraceus

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Echinocereus engelmannii

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Echinocereus mojavensis

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Opuntia basilaris var. basilaris

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