Desert Forests

I have just got back from another trip to Las Vegas and am immediately struck again by how green England is in comparison.   Hardly surprising as Las Vegas, despite meaning "the meadows", is very arid due to its location in the Mojave Desert.  The trees tend to be palm trees and much of the green grass is heavily watered every night to keep it green or is astroturf!

On our first trip we went on a trip to the Grand Canyon which is absolutely spectacular.  On the way we passed through a Joshua Tree forest.  Say the word forest and you immediately imagine tall, lush trees, densely packed and maybe a hint of pine.  As the Joshua Trees manage to sustain life in the most inhospitable of terrains with very little water, they have adapted to survive and even thrive.  The resulting forest is slightly eerie but also has an intriguing quality all of its own.  In some respects you feel it wouldn't look out of place on another planet.

Mostly found in the Mohave Desert, the Joshua Tree is a member of the Yukka plant family and got its name from the Mormons who travelled across the Mohave Desert during the mid 1800's.  The plants survive the harsh conditions by growing extremely slowly once established.  The largest trees can be hundreds of years old but still relatively small in tree terms.  Whilst areas of the desert are densely populated with trees, the size of the trees actually makes the forest seem quite sparse.

Whilst I can't see me ever growing a Joshua Tree in my English garden, I do find them very intriguing.  I have to admit, I do quite like the name, which was even used as the title of a U2 album.