Ocotillo plants suddenly burst into bloom after heavy rains. Ocotillo is a distinctive plant in the desert landscape, with sharp, spiny stalks 20 - 30 ft in the air. Found across the Chihuahuan and Sonoran deserts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, and a small part of California, Ocotillo has adapted to desert life by moving photosynthesis to its stalks, occasionally producing small leaves and bright red-orange tubular flowers for short periods after long rains.
