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The Joshua Tree is capable of living 3,000 years and is a member of the Lily family. 3,000 feet is about as low in elevation that you will find them and this altitude marks the beginning of the Mojave Desert. The tree's bizarre look comes from the manner in which it sends up flower clusters. Until one of its beautiful groups of waxy, cream-colored blossoms appears on the top of the first straight stalk no branching can occur. The new arm can start to develop and take off in any direction, thus giving the tree its unique profile. If it is too rocky or too cold, the tree will never attain a grand size. The largest one in California is 40' tall with as crown of 30' and a trunk of 13'. The ages are in question but they are known to exceed 1,000 years in age. As the leaves die, they collapse against the bark and eventually metamorphose into branch material.
Note the coyote at the top of the hill. As we came down the picture of the road, we surprised him and he scooted over the hill and took a last glance at us before he disappeared from sight.
Because of their deep root system, they are a haven for rattlesnake dens. It is not uncommon for 2-3 dozen to live below a tree. They dig numerous air holes and excavate a cavity right below the tree and over-winter. They come out in May and stay out till October. This area (Mohave County) has 3 distinctive rattlesnakes. The Mohave Pink, the Mohave Red and the Mohave Green. The Mohave Pink is not so toxic. The Mohave Red is a more toxically potent snake. The Mohave Green is a Killer. This guy is bad news. He is the most toxic rattlesnake in the Northern Hemishere. He is extremely aggressive. When rattlesnakes first emerge after winter, they don't rattle and need a month for the rattles to harden. That is very dangerous since they emerge all at once and you can't hear them. At least when you hear a rattler, you stop, detect direction of noise and disappear the opposite direction. The Mohave Green has been observed chasing victims down up to rates of 7 miles per hour for a mile or so and then slow at reduced rate but still quick. There was a man with his family last year that was vacationing and ducked around a Joshua into a depression to relieve himself. He awoke a Mohave Green and the snake locked onto his calve. He ran back to the SUV, screaming for help. When he got there, one of his sons tried to dislodge the snake and was bitten. The snake left. The man's heart rate went sky-high. (if you can try and remain calm after a bite, it slows the venom's approach to the heart - but that's easier said than done) They drove him into Dolan Springs and the medical unit amputated his leg below the hip. (Mohave Green poison destroys tissue on contact) They evacuated him via copter to San Diego Hospital, when along the way, the black and blue approached his navel. By the time he got there, he was torsoless at the waist. The son fared better as 95% of the poison was in his dad. Needless to say, if you visit Joshua Tree Forest in May, be careful.
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