Joshua Tree National Park, and the Truffula Trees

Thinking back to my Seuss days with young children, it occurs to me that Joshua Trees have a strong resemblance to the Truffula Trees in the Dr Seuss book, “The Lorax!”

“I am the Lorax. I speak for the trees. I speak for the trees for the trees have no tongues.” 

― Dr. Seuss, The Lorax

I visited Joshua Tree National Park this past March. My first encounter with these strange, iconic trees came during a drive across the Mojave Desert, heading south from Las Vegas. As I gained elevation—somewhere between 4,000 and 6,000 feet—they began to appear, dotting the landscape like ancient sentinels. The drive itself took about three and a half hours, winding through the stark beauty of the desert before dropping into the town of 29 Palms. Just a few miles beyond town lies the entrance to Joshua Tree National Park.

Because it was early March, the park was refreshingly quiet—few crowds, soft light, and space to breathe. Each day, I entered the park before dawn to capture the blue and golden hours, took a break during the midday harsh light, and returned again around 3 p.m. to photograph until sunset. The light during those few days was simply extraordinary—ideal for infrared photography. The textures, the contrast, the quiet—everything came together in a way that made the landscape feel timeless.

According to the National Park Service, there is a fascinating history behind these mythical Seuss like trees…

“Like the California fan palm, Washingtonia filifera, the Joshua tree is a monocot in the subgroup of flowering plants that also includes grasses and orchids. Don’t confuse the Joshua tree with the Mojave yucca, Yucca schidigera. This close relative can be distinguished by its longer, wider leaves and fibrous threads curling along leaf margins. The Joshua tree provides a good indicator that you are in the Mojave Desert, but you may also find it growing next to a saguaro cactus in the Sonoran Desert in western Arizona or mixed with pines in the San Bernardino Mountains.

Years ago, the Joshua tree was recognized by native people for its useful properties: tough leaves were worked into baskets and sandals, and flower buds and raw or roasted seeds made a healthy addition to the diet. The local Cahuilla have long referred to the tree as “hunuvat chiy’a” or “humwichawa;” both names are used by a few elders fluent in the language.

By the mid-19th century, Mormon immigrants had made their way across the Colorado River. Legend has it that these pioneers named the tree after the biblical figure, Joshua, seeing the limbs of the tree as outstretched in supplication, guiding the travelers westward. However, this tale is not substantiated in the historical record. Some evidence suggests that the biblical figure Joshua, and the Joshua trees, represented the Mormon conquest of the desert. Instead of the branches resembling outstretched arms in prayer, perhaps the tree’s sharp, blade-like leaves brought to mind the arrayed forces of Joshua’s army.

Concurrent with Mormon settlers, ranchers and miners arrived in the high desert with high hopes of raising cattle and digging for gold. These homesteaders used the Joshua tree’s limbs and trunks for fencing and corrals. Miners found a source of fuel for the steam engines used in processing ore.

Today we enjoy this yucca for its grotesque appearance, a surprising sight in the landscape of biological interest. The Joshua tree’s life cycle begins with the rare germination of a seed, its survival dependent upon well-timed rains. Look for sprouts growing up from within the protective branches of a shrub. Young sprouts may grow quickly in the first five years, then slow down considerably thereafter. The tallest Joshua trees in the park loom a whopping forty-plus feet high, a grand presence in the desert. Judging the age of a Joshua tree is challenging: these “trees” do not have growth rings like you would find in an oak or pine. You can make a rough estimate based on height, as Joshua trees grow at rates of one-half inch to three inches per year. Some researchers think an average lifespan for a Joshua tree is about 150 years, but some of our largest trees may be much older than that.”

If you decide to visit, I recommend autumn or spring for the best temperatures and less people visiting. This National Park is a jewel and a beautiful location for infrared photography.