Welcome to the 2.2.2. Tiny Leaves Cactus Loop Look for the hook-shaped thorns along 5.5.5. Cactus Neighbor the branches of this catclaw shrub. Can Although the ocotillo may have thorns, Nature Trail you see how it earned its name? Other it is not a cactus. After a rain the shrub 7.7.7. Painted Rocks nicknames for this plant are “tear blan- produces delicate green leaves, but they The rust-colored stain covering these ket” and the “wait-a-minute bush.” are short-lived. In dry periods, the oco- Anza-Borrego Desert State Park® is a land rocks is known as desert varnish. This tillo drops all its leaves, making the dor- mysterious coating appears on rocks af- of extremes offering a climate harsh to Notice the tiny leaves. Small leaves help mant plant appear to be nothing more plants, animals, and visitors alike. ter thousands of years of exposure to the prevent water loss for many desert shrubs. than a lifeless bundle of twigs. desert. Its thorny branches provide refuge for With extreme changes in temperature and many desert birds, including the small In springtime, watch for stems tipped with It’s not clear exactly how it forms, but very little precipitation, it seems unlikely verdin. brilliant red blossoms. Because it grows that anything could survive here. Yet we believe microscopic bacteria living on extremely slowly, the tallest ocotillos may the rocks absorb manganese and iron many desert plants not only survive here, be hundreds of years old. they thrive. oxide causing them to become blackish 3.3.3. Oily Coatings or reddish. Often they will cement tiny Discover their strategies as you walk this The pungent odor of the creosote bush particles of clay onto themselves to keep short but steep, rocky loop trail. after a rainfall prompted the Spanish ex- from drying out, adding a brownish hue. plorers to call it “hediondilla,” which 6.6.6. means “little stinker.” W e call it creosote AdaptableAdaptableAdaptable Watch for desert varnish throughout PLEASEPLEASEPLEASE and it’s the most common perennial plant America’s western deserts. in the deserts of California. AnimalAnimalAnimal Remember to carry plenty of water! Rising above you Look at the oily coatings on the to the north is creosote’s leaves. This protects the plant Pinyon Ridge. 8.8.8. Does It Really Jump? 1.1.1. Hummingbird Bush from drying up. In fact, even in the hot, Look carefully The teddy bear or jumping cholla (pro- dry, desert it has leaves year-round. among the boul- nounced “choy-ah”) gets its name from Like many other plants of the desert, this ders for the rare, the way that it reproduces. Notice the chuparosa remains dormant for most of Peninsular big- The segments of the cholla scattered on the the year. To limit water loss, the shrub 4.4.4. Spines or No Spines? horn sheep. ground. When the segments drop off, drops its leaves during dry months. You may not see the spines on this cac- treacherous rocks they take root and grow into new plants. tus, but trust us, they are there! This ap- and steep slopes In the spring, hummingbirds seek out the parent lack of spines and the flat, rounded pose no problem Often these segments hitch rides on un- chuparosa’s long tubular red blossoms. shape of its pads make the beavertail cac- for the nimble suspecting wildlife or people who acci- Both the Anna’s and the smaller Costa’s tus easy to identify. The dark spots on sheep. dentally brush against the cholla. The hummingbirds are year-round residents ® the pads contain bunches of tiny, tiny, joints attach so easily to a host that they of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park . spines. Too small for tweezers use, if you From high vantage seem to “jump” from the plant. get these spines in your skin you may points, a bighorn can easily spot its These amazing need to remove them with tape or glue. predators. Given enough warning, the If you’ve ever had a close encounter with birds are only three sheep can escape a mountain lion by cholla, you’ll remember how painful the inches long and are Springtime hikers should watch for the sprinting across and up the rough terrain. spines are. Tiny barbs on eachs spine able to hover and striking magenta flowers that appear The bighorn sheep browse on many of make It hard to remove them from our even fly backwards. along the upper edge of each pad. the local shrubs. How do you think they skin. Be careful not to touch one of these Listen for the hummingbird’s eat the spiny cactus plants? “teddy bears!” clicking and squeaking call. Nature Trail Guide 9.9.9. Water At Work 11.11.11. Hairy Leaves 14.14.14. Millions of Hooks Here in the Colorado Desert of Anza-Bor- The leaves of the brittlebush are pow- Last, but not least, is the tiny rego, an average of four to six inches of dery white. Look closely and you’ll see fishook cactus. Did you find it there, in rain falls annually. In some years, the park the insulating hairs that cause this. These front of the number post? This cactus receives less than two inches of rain! hairs make shade for the plant and help grows along the coast from San Diego fDFWXV the leaves retain their moisture. During to Mexico and you’ll also find it here on Amazingly, water is still a powerful force hot dry times, this covering of hairs is the western edge of Anza-Borrego Desert in shaping the landscape. Flash floods dense, while in cool, rainy months, it may State Park. oRRS move massive amounts of material and be sparse. are continuously reshaping the desert. With red-tipped, hooked spines, it grows A member of the sunflower family, the best in rocky areas. Tiny, solitary bees will Plants that grow in the washes, like the brittlebush sprouts bright yellow flowers pollinate its flowers in late spring. Later, WUDLO one below, must adapt to the floods that in the spring. During the hot summers, from these buds will emerge long, bright scour the soil and sometimes uproot the leaves shrink or drop off. Then the tubular fruits. them. Some, like the smoke tree, need flower stalks become dry and brittle, giv- floods to scour their seeds before they ing the plant its name. will germinate. Do you recognize any of the plants below? We hope you’ve enjoyed this glimpse into 12. Desert Beauty the strategies plants use to survive and 10.10.10. The Amazing even thrive in the extreme climate of Anza- Often found in clusters, the hedgehog ® Expanding Plant cactus grows up to a foot high. It’s also Borrego Desert State Park . called a “calico cactus” because of its Is this barrel cactus fat or thin? After a multi-colored spines. Like other cacti, the rain, this amazing cactus can hold up to hedgehog’s spines are actually modified 90% of its weight in water. Its accordion leaves that create needed shade for the shape allows it to swell as it absorbs wa- plant while deterring potential browsers. ter after a rainshower. By storing mois- Please keep this brochure as a ture when it can, the barrel cactus sur- This hostile-looking plant is a favorite of souvenir or return it to the box for vives months without rain. flower lovers, producing showy purplish- others to use. red flowers in the late spring. Peninsular bighorn sheep sometimes eat barrel cactus. With their horns, they break open the top of the cactus 13. Century Plant and eat the juicy flesh. Even though the cac- Another plant you’ll find growing in clus- tus contains mois- ters is the agave or “century plant.” Un- ture, it’s too alkaline derground root crowns send up new for us to drink. In sprouts continually. Their thick leaves fact, drinking from a store water. Eventually, when the plant barrel cactus may reaches a critical size and weight, it sends See how plants survive make you thirstier up a flower stalk. These stalks shoot up than you were to quickly and grow to ten or more feet tall. on this steep, rocky, begin with! Each plant flowers only once, usually California State Parks when it is fifty, sixty or more years old. After flowering, the agave dies. ©2003 one-mile loop trail.