The Cholla Cactus Garden (Joshua Tree NP, California) – a garden in the desert

Introducing the Beyond Geology series No man is an island… and not even scientific branches. We like to classify science as closed boxes, “geology”, “natural science”, “physics”, “biology”… but, in reality, everything is interconnected. When I go into the field, there is so much to see which is not ‘strictly’ geological. It is hard to me (in the sense that I do not like doing so) to extract only the ‘geology’ from my trips, leaving out all the rest. Therefore, I have decided to start the side blog series ‘Beyond Geology’, to show you all the naturalistic and scientific features that I encounter, which, unfortunately, do not find their space in the other series. Cholla Cactus Garden Joshua Tree lies at the junction between two deserts: the Colorado Desert to the southeast and the Mojave Desert to the northwest. The change of average temperature between the colder, Mojave, and the hotter Colorado Deserts is determined, in the park, by a progressive change in elevation. Higher altitudes favor tree-like species, like the famous Joshua Trees (Yucca brevifolia) that give their name to the park and are more adapted to colder conditions and the occasional freezing of this area. At lower altitude, much warmer conditions, favor shrub-like and cacti flora, more adapted to resist with less water. In some areas of the park, a combination of favorable microclimate and abundance of resources creates the ideal conditions to develop natural gardens full of desert flora and fauna. This is the case of the Cholla Cactus Garden, located not too far from the Cottonwood Visitor Center. The Cholla Cactus Garden trail is a short loop that allow to admire a concentration of beautiful teddybear cholla (Cylindropuntia bigelovii), companion shrubs, and cacti. Since we visited in March, many of them were starting to bloom. If you visit between March and May, you might enjoy a garden in full bloom!

The location of the trailhead is at 33,92530, -115,92889. This place is wild, and definitely you don’t want to miss it if you are planning a visit to the park! Further reading