Ocotillo

Often mistaken for a cactus, the ocotillo is actually a desert shrub with tall, spindly canes that burst to life after rain. Most of the year it looks like a bundle of bare sticks, but in spring it’s covered in small green leaves and topped with fiery red-orange flowers that attract hummingbirds. It’s a dramatic, drought-tolerant showstopper found throughout the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts.