"The Forsythia of Far West Texas!"

One of our Twitter followers calls Ocotillo "the forsythia of Far West Texas," and we're inclined to agree!  They leaf out when there's rain, and several times a year, they can develop brilliant orange/red blossoms. 

Our Executive Director thinks they're the "happiest and friendliest of desert plants, making us feel like spring!"

However, ocotillo is not considered a true cactus.

For a good part of the year, and when our desert is dry, the ocotillo appears to be a composition of dead sticks, but when the rain falls, small leaves are sprouted all along the vertical branches.

Click here to read more about the ocotillo!