Accent · Sonoran native
Ocotillo
Fouquieria splendens · Fouquieriaceae
Also called: Coachwhip, Candlewood, Slimwood, Vine Cactus (misnomer), Desert Coral
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) is a very low-water accent native to the Sonoran Desert region well suited to Tucson and the low desert. It thrives in full sun.
Ocotillo at a glance
- Water use
- Very Low (established)
- Sun
- Full sun; thrives in reflected heat and the most intense low-desert exposures.
- Mature size
- 10-20 ft H x 10-15 ft W (cluster of unbranched, whip-like canes)
- Growth rate
- Slow; long-lived (decades to over a century).
- Bloom
- Bright orange-red to scarlet (tubular flower clusters at cane tips), Spring (March-June), often after rains; may flush again with summer monsoon moisture. Leaves appear quickly after rain and drop during drought (drought-deciduous).
- Cold hardiness
- Cold hardy to about 10 F or lower (USDA zones 8-11); tolerant of intense heat.
- Soil
- Sharply drained rocky, gravelly, or sandy desert soils including caliche; intolerant of heavy, poorly drained, or irrigated turf soils. Drainage is critical.
- Native range
- Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of the southwestern U.S. (Arizona, California, New Mexico, Texas) and northern Mexico; common on rocky slopes and bajadas across southern Arizona.
- Best used as
- Specimen/accent/sculptural focal point, Living fence (canes root when planted in rows), Hummingbird and pollinator gardens, Erosion control on slopes, Native and xeriscape revegetation
- Wildlife
- Tubular red flowers are a key spring nectar source for hummingbirds (and time with their northward migration), carpenter bees, and the lesser long-nosed bat; provides cover for birds.
- Toxicity
- Not considered toxic; historically the flowers and bark had folk/medicinal uses. The numerous stout thorns along the canes are the main hazard.
How to grow Ocotillo in Tucson & the low desert
Watering
Very drought tolerant once established. Newly planted/transplanted ocotillo need careful attention—mist the canes and water the root zone every couple of weeks until rooted and leafing out. Established plants need only occasional deep summer water (or none); overwatering and poor drainage cause root rot and death.
Fertilizer & nutrients
None required; native to nutrient-poor desert soils. Do not fertilize. A light spring feeding is unnecessary and can do harm in irrigated settings.
Pruning & care
Essentially none—remove only dead canes at the base. Do not shear; the natural fountain of canes is the ornamental form. Wear heavy gloves due to spines.
Notes
Not a cactus despite its spines—a drought-deciduous desert shrub of many slender, thorny, near-vertical canes that leaf out and bloom after rain. Best planted bare-root in spring with the canes oriented as they grew; patience is needed as new transplants can take months to establish. An iconic Sonoran Desert accent.
Sources: Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum; AMWUA 'Landscape Plants for the Arizona Desert'; University of Arizona Cooperative Extension; Tucson Botanical Gardens / Tohono Chul