Ocotillo Family, Fouquieriaceae

The Ocotillo Family consists of a single genus, Fouquieria. While 11 species comprise this genus, F. splendens ssp. splendens is the only Fouquieria found in California. The Boojum tree, F. columnaris, is another well-known member of the genus. Look for it in Baja California. While the shrubs and trees of the Ocotillo Family have thorns or spines, they are not cacti.

Photograph: The gray rocks of a canyon wall and the gray branches of on ocotillo provide perfect camouflage for a gray mockingbird
A Mockingbird Finds Cover in an Ocotillo