Ocotillo Care Tips On Planting Ocotillo In The Garden

Growing ocotillo requires a well-drained soil in full sun. Ocotillo plant tends to lose its leaves when exposed to extreme drought, but leafs out in spring and summer rains. Ocotillo really has no special needs and is an easy to grow plant provided it is used in a climate that can provide plenty of sun and heat.

How do you care for a ocotillo plant?

The Ocotillo is highly drought tolerant and considered a low-water-use plant. It will require irrigation after it has been planted. Avoid over watering the soil, as too much groundwater will cause the roots of the plant to rot. Instead, water by spraying the cane of the plant and keep the soil moist.

How do you plant an ocotillo?

Ocotillo grow in the open and like full sun. Shade cloth is not needed. Dig a hole the diameter of the roots and deep enough to plant it to the soil line on the base of the plant. The soil line is generally a few inches below where all the canes join together for a six foot tall ocotillo.

Why does my Ocotillo look dead?

Roots can die after it has been planted or they can be dead at the time of planting. Partial root death can be caused by poor storage and handling conditions at the nursery. But the usual reason is because it is watered too often after planting. Let's cover the basics of planting an ocotillo.

How fast does ocotillo grow?

Ocotillos are routinely sold bare-root, often with no root at all. Expect these to take up to 2 years to re-grow their roots system and become established. Seed-grown ocotillo sold in containers with a living root system are widely available. These will grow fast and establish quickly.

Do Ocotillos go dormant?

It can cycle through this up to five times a year. 2. You can see how many growth spurts it has had by looking at its stems - Just like a tree makes rings when it goes dormant in the winter, you can see when an ocotillo goes dormant between rains.

Can you propagate Ocotillo?

Fouquieria splendens plant is propagated through softwood cuttings in the summer. To do this, cut 6” to 8” inches long pieces from the top of the stems from the last season's growth. Use a sharp knife to take cuttings. Make sure the stems are still soft and bendable and are not affected by any pest or disease.

What animal eats the ocotillo plant?

White-tailed deer and bighorn sheep eat the flowers, and humans soak the flowers in water to make a refreshing tea. The Tohono O'odham collect Ocotillo nectar, harden it, and consume it as a candy.

Are Ocotillos protected?

Ocotillo is a native plant and is protected, which means it is illegal to harvest it from the desert.

Why is my Ocotillo turning yellow?

Ocotillos can produce two or more crops of leaves per year. ... They shed the leaves during the foresummer drought, then leaf out again with the summer rains. The leaves turn yellow and drop a couple of weeks after the last rain.

How much do Ocotillos cost?

Specifics on buying Ocotillos. Ocotillos range in price from $25 to $150. Smaller plants tend to be about 2 to 3 feet tall, with 4 to 8 arms, costing about $35 to $50. Very large plants might be 12 to 14 feet tall, have 30 to 40 canes, and cost $250 to $300.

What is a false Ocotillo?

Didierea procera Drake. Alluaudia procera, or Madagascar ocotillo, is a deciduous succulent plant species of the family Didiereaceae. It is endemic to south Madagascar. Click to see full answer.

How do you make a ocotillo fence?

How to Make an Ocotillo Weave Fence

Locate suitable plants for obtaining branches for the fence. ...
Fold three lengths of wire in half. ...
Install posts about 3 feet apart along the fence line. ...
Dig a 6-inch-deep trench immediately inside the fence line. ...
Mix equal parts sand and soil. ...
Continue to water the fence at least once a week.

What does Ocotillo mean in Spanish?

a cactus-like tree, Fouquieria splendens, of Mexico and the southwestern US, with scarlet tubular flowers: used for hedges and candlewood: family Fouquieriaceae. Collins English Dictionary. Copyright © HarperCollins Publishers. Word origin. Mexican Spanish: diminutive of ocote pine, from Nahuatl ocotl torch.

How do you harvest Ocotillo?

Harvesting Ocotillo for medicinal use is a challenge. You want the bark from older plants. Wear thick gloves and take no more than a two foot section. It should saw or cut off fairly easily and then cut it into smaller, more workable pieces.

How big do ocotillo grow?

Ocotillos can grow over 15 feet in height and as wide.

How do ocotillo plants survive in the desert?

Ocotillo plants are very well adapted to living in the desert. Their leaves grow quickly after a rain, and then drop off after the ground dries up. This helps them grow when there is rain, but save energy when there is not.

Is an ocotillo a tree?

Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens) are one of easiest plants to identify in the desert. They are a large shrub with long cane-like unbranched spiny stems that grow from a short trunk.

Is my bare root tree dead?

How to tell if a bare root tree is alive. Unfortunately, bare root trees can die pretty quickly if they aren't stored and planted properly. ... If you scratch a few twigs on the tree, they're brown and dry underneath instead of green and moist.

How much sun does an ocotillo need?

This plant likes full sun and reflected heat and needs little water once established. A newly planted ocotillo requires water once per week during the hot, dry summer and can take monthly irrigation during the cooler months. The ocotillo prefers rocky, well-draining soil and is hardy to ten degrees Fahrenheit or lower.

Is my Ocotillo dead?

Ocotillo a desert staple

In the dry season, the ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens), with its bundles of gray, thorny stems, looks drab and totally dead.

How do you propagate Alluaudia Procera?

Alluaudia plants can be propagated by stem cuttings taken in the spring, or from seed. This plant will also send up suckers from its roots that can be separated from the parent plant and grown independently.