Fouquieria splendens
| Light | Full sun; the more the better |
|---|---|
| Water | Water only during active growth after rain; keep dry when leafless and through winter |
| Soil | Very fast-draining, lean mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Frost-hardy when dry, roughly USDA zones 8b–11; protect from prolonged hard freezes |
| Propagation | Seed, or hardwood cane cuttings |
| Toxicity | Not considered toxic to cats or dogs |
Fouquieria splendens, widely known as ocotillo or coachwhip, is a striking desert shrub from the Fouquieria genus that looks less like a single plant than a fountain of long, spiny, whip-like canes rising from a short woody base. For much of the year the canes stand bare and grey, but within days of a good rain they flush with small green leaves, and in spring the tips light up with dense clusters of crimson, tubular flowers. Despite its cactus-like habit and succulent tissues, F. splendens is not a true cactus but a member of the small family Fouquieriaceae.
Description
Fouquieria splendens grows as a spreading cluster of unbranched or sparsely branched canes emerging from a compact root crown, reaching 2–6 m tall in the wild. The canes are stiff, wand-like and grey-brown, armed along their length with stout spines. These spines form in an unusual way: the plant's first leaves have long petioles that harden and persist as spines, and new soft leaves later sprout from the axils above them.
The plant is drought-deciduous. Small oval leaves appear rapidly after rainfall and are shed again as the soil dries, a cycle that can repeat several times in a single season. In spring the cane tips bear showy panicles of narrow scarlet to crimson flowers that are a magnet for hummingbirds and native bees.
Distribution and habitat
Ocotillo is native to the deserts of the southwestern United States and northern Mexico, where it is a signature plant of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts. It grows on rocky slopes, gravelly flats and open desert scrub, typically in lean, sharply drained soils and full, unfiltered sun. It tolerates intense heat, prolonged drought and, when dormant and dry, a fair amount of cold.
Cultivation
Fouquieria splendens is grown for its dramatic architecture and its brilliant seasonal bloom, and it rewards patience more than fussing. Give it the sunniest, hottest spot available and a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix; heavy, water-retentive soils are the surest way to lose one. Water only while the plant is in active, leafy growth, and keep it dry when it drops its leaves and through winter. See Watering for general technique.
Established plants are considerably more forgiving than freshly transplanted ones. Bare-root or newly moved ocotillo can sulk for a season or more before rooting in, and are prone to rot if watered too eagerly before new roots form. In containers, use a deep, snug pot and be conservative with moisture; see Repotting before disturbing the roots.
Propagation
Seed is the most reliable route: fresh seed sown on a warm, gritty surface germinates readily, though seedlings are slow to build size. See Propagation — seed for a full walkthrough.
Ocotillo can also be grown from hardwood cane cuttings, and in its native range whole canes are pushed into the ground to make living fences that sometimes root and leaf out. Success from cuttings is far less certain than from seed — many canes simply dry out or rot rather than root — so treat cuttings as an experiment rather than a guarantee. See Propagation — cuttings.
Common problems
- Rot — by far the commonest cause of loss, almost always from overwatering, poor drainage, or watering a plant that has not yet re-rooted after transplanting.
- Transplant sulk — bare-root plants may stand leafless and dormant for a long time before establishing; resist the urge to overwater them into recovery.
- No flowers — usually too little sun; ocotillo needs full, direct light to bloom well.
- Pests — generally trouble-free outdoors, but watch for scale and mealybugs on stressed or indoor-grown plants (see Pests and diseases).
See also
- Fouquieria — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting
- Propagation — seed · Propagation — cuttings