The UA boojum trees are nestled in the Krutch garden on the mall. Unlike most of their neighbors in the garden, they grow during the cool season and can really take advantage of the extra precipitation we've been having. What is a boojum? Its botanical name is Fouquieria columnaris. A remarkable looking plant, it is slow-growing and long-lived, with some thought to be over 500 years old. This rare member of the ocotillo family is native to the west coast of Baja California, and one small area on the Sonora mainland near Puerto Libertad.
The newest one on campus was planted by AZ Cactus and FM Grounds in August 2015. As part of an ongoing project, the new addition replaces those planted in 1929 by President Homer Shantz which adorned the historic cactus garden and amazed visitors for almost a century. Sadly, the last of Shantz's original specimens was destroyed in 2014.