The famed Joshua trees, Yucca brevifolia, of the Mojave Desert simultaneously bloom for the first known time. It is also the first Joshua tree bloom in over three years, due to drought conditions in California.
Botanist do not know why the all the trees have suddenly bloomed, but theorize that it may be due to global warming and the need for the trees to propagate.
Joshua Tree National Park has the largest forest of Joshua trees, which are native to the Mojave desert.
Photos by Ted Soqui © 2013
|Joshua tree with seed pods.|
|Joshua tree with flowers.|
|Mojave yucca, Yucca schidigera, also in bloom.|