The CCAG were lucky enough to obtain some sustainable sourced seeds of the most endangered desert plants here on the West Coast: the Western Joshua Tree and the Saguaro. Lets give you some information.
The Western Joshua Tree
It's not a tree or a cactus. It's a slowgrowing yucca (yuck uh). Yuccas are comprised of flat, swordlike leaves and white pea shaped flowers. Yuccas are related to asparagus and agave. They are not to be confused with the root yuca (yoo-cuh) AKA cassava. They are of another family. The Western Joshua tree can grow up to 70 feet tall, but rarely do so. They look like small palm trees with many thick branches and thin, long leaves. Joshua Trees grow in the Mojave and Sonoran Desert.
People say that this plant needs extreme temperatures to grow. They need hot dry summers AND cold, wet winters to grow. Overall, the climate has to mimic the high Mojave Desert. It also, unlike other plants, requires poor quality soil to grow; in fact, the poorer the soil, the better the growth of the tree. Guess what? The CCAG has everything on that list to ensure that it will grow nice and healthy. The TMAD will provide a hot and dry temperature, at least until the plant outgrows it. The plants will likely stay outside during winter to experience a long, cold frost. Lastly, the soil is poor in the TMAD, encouraging optimal growth.
There are almost 10 million trees left - but they reproduce very slowly, which is raising awareness about their conservation.
The Western Joshua Tree is protected under the California Endangered Species Act. This means you can't harm, collect or remove a Joshua Tree, and if you're caught, it could mean up to 6 months in jail. The seeds from a seed bank are sold legally in kits and collected sustainably by qualified naturalists.
The Saguaro Cactus
It's a huge, slow growing cactus that is stereotypically represent in Arizona. However, it lives in parts of California and Nevada as well. It can grow up to 40 feet tall, and branches only when it's 70 years old. The fruit of the cactus can be used to turn into various jams and juices. However, it's population is dwindling. As climate change sweeps the desert, the cacti die from drought, especially the young ones that have just sprouted.
They are also very slow growing like the Joshua Tree. In 2 years, little cacti only reach 1 inch in length.
In Arizona, their state plant the Saguaro Flower is highly revered - you cannot remove or harm a Saguaro anywhere, including in your own property. You will likely have to get a permit to remove one from your yard - unless it falls down naturally. The fallen arm of a cacti can cost up to $2000.
We ordered kits for growing Joshua Trees and Saguaro Cacti, and they are growing in my room. The purpose of this purchase is to conserve these native plants.
I hope you enjoyed this post. Make sure to stay tuned to see if the seeds sprouted yet.
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