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Ocotillo

Fouquieria splendens

Other common name(s):

Devil's Walking Stick, Candlewood

Family:

Fouquieriaceae (Ocotillo Family)

Plant Ecoregion Distribution Map

Chihuahuan Deserts
Chihuahuan Basins and Playas, Chihuahuan Desert Grasslands, Chihuahuan Montane Woodlands, Low Mountains and Bajadas, Stockton Plateau

Plant Characteristics

Growth Form

Shrub

Height

6
to
20
ft.

Spread

3
to
5
ft.

Leaf Retention

Evergreen

Lifespan

Perennial

Habitat and Care Requirements

Soil Type(s)

Sand, Gravelly, Rocky, Limestone, Dry

Light Requirement

Part Shade

Water Requirement

Low

Native Habitat

Grassland

Bloom and Attraction

Bloom Color

Red, Orange

Bloom Season

Spring, Summer

Seasonal Interest

Seeds, Nectar, Flowers

Wildlife Benefit

Birds, Small Mammals, Nectar Insects, Hummingbirds, Bees

Maintenance

Drought tolerant. Will bloom only in dry air. Very dependent on good drainage. Makes a good security fence due to spines. Propagation: Seed, Cuttings.

Comments

Blooms March-July. Ocotillo is a spiny shrub with many long, unbranched green stems growing from the base. Stems are leafless most of the year, mostly appearing after rain. Red tubular flowers at tip of each branch. The name Ocotillo means “little pine” in Mexican Spanish. Like a pine (ocote), its stalks produce a resin. Looks best as a specimen plant.
Previous Scientific Name(s): Synonym(s): Fouquieria splendens ssp. splendens

References

1) Griffith, Bryce, Omernick & Rodgers (2007). Ecoregions of Texas. 2) http://bonap.net/TDC/Image/Map?taxonType=Species&taxonId=12172&lcationType=County&mapType=Normal. 3) https://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=FOSP2. 4) https://portal.torcherbaria.org/portal/taxa/index.php?taxon=Fouquieria+splendens&formsubmit=Search+Terms. 5) Wasowski, Sally and Wasowski, Andy, Native Texas Plants, Landscaping Region by Region, 1988, 1991, pg 246. 6) Miller, George O., Landscaping with Native Plants of Texas 2nd Ed., 2013, pg 48. 7) https://www.itis.gov/servlet/SingleRpt/SingleRpt?search_topic=TSN&search_value=502645#null

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State Office Phone: 830.997.9272

State Office Address:
Native Plant Society of Texas
PO Box 3017
Fredericksburg, TX 78624

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