Tour Stop (Sonoran Native Plants) - AccID: 3690

Desert Challenges: Drought/Aridity.

Plant Adaptations: Drought deciduous foliage.

Desert Ecology:

Hummingbirds are important pollinators of this tall shrub. Nectar-stealing carpenter bees and verdins have also been found to effectively pollinate. Antelope ground squirrels feed on the flowers and seeds that fall to the ground.

Ethnobotany:

Native people, including the Seri, Cahuilla, Yavapai, Pima, Tohono and Hiá ced O’odham also consumed the flowers and nectar or used the flowers to flavor water. The Cahuilla used protein-rich seeds to make flour for mush or cakes.
In both past and modern times, ocotillo stems have been used for fencing (sometimes as a living fence), house walls, and ramada roofs.