JOSHUA TREE NATIONAL PARK

The Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, is related to the yucca plant, and a member of the agave family. The tree is found only here in the Mojave Desert, and more specifically in Joshua Tree National Park. It grows so slowly -- ½ inch a year -- that a ten foot tree is probably 240 years old.
Joshua trees were named by the Mormons who passed through these parts in the 19th century. The outstretched limbs of the tree reminded them of their prophet Joshua, extending his arms in supplication. Before that Native Americans used the leaves and branches for weaving baskets, and the seeds for eating.
Joshua Tree NP is on the border between the Mojave and the Colorado deserts (where I'm headed next) and includes both ecosystems within its borders. The Mojave is considered high desert and gets more rain (it's all relative!), and can support more life. The Colorado desert is lower, drier and hotter.
Desert ecology is spare and harsh. It's not hard to notice how the flora and fauna adapt the landscape to conserve every drop of water, every millimeter of shade. Many plants go dormant during dry spells and animals, too, have found ways to adapt.
Not so with the human landscape. This strip along Hwy 62 (Yucca Valley/Joshua Tree /29 Palms) is actively encouraging development. (I counted fifty real estate agencies in the local phonebook, serving a community of about 50,000). Down below, in the Palm Springs area, 400 golf courses are kept green by the Colorado River. I have not seen a single solar panel in this region, even though it boast of 3?? days of sunshine annually.
Only time will tell who wins in this fight for survival in the desert. Here is a photo from the Park.