Localized

I was surprised to see this ironwood tree in Joshua Tree National Park; didn't know they grow here. A nearby sign explained... They apparently grow just in this one location, on a bajada at the base of the mountains seen in the distance, because this area is warm enough and gets enough moisture to support the ironwood.

 

This area is called the Colorado Desert. It's not a part of the nearby Mojave Desert, but rather a small subdivision of the Sonoran Desert. While it does have some of the same plants and animals as the Sonoran, it lacks its signature plant, the saguaro.

 

Ironwood trees are fairly common in the Sonoran Desert to the west of Tucson, and there's even an area set aside where they're featured...Ironwood Forest National Monument, which is adjacent to Saguaro National Park's western district, and is administered by the BLM.

 

Seen on the Bajada Trail.

Done