Southwestern landscapes have drawn in many people from artists and dreamers to sunshine lovers, desert dwellers, outdoor enthusiasts, and homesteaders. Understanding what species of flora and fauna are around allows better understanding of your homestead. Essentially, working with nature instead of against it and therefore, accomplishing more.
This article will cover a few “main characters” of the Southwestern ecoregion (who they are, what they do, and why they’re important) and how to incorporate them on your homestead.
To begin, an ecoregion is a geographically large area that encompasses similar features, whether it is plant and animal life, climate, general weather patterns, or landscape features. Every ecoregion is made up of a million different parts and can be broken down into smaller and smaller ecosystems — all the way to microhabitat scale.
The term ecoregion allows a broad landscape-level description to be assigned to an area and often encapsulates, as I said earlier, main characters that act as front-page headliners in the area. For our purposes, that will include the following flora and fauna.
Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia)
These “trees” are actually yuccas and are a characteristic species of the Mojave Desert. Joshua trees tend to grow wonky and weird with lots of branches sticking out at comical angles, including upside down.
They were named after the Biblical figure, Joshua, by Mormon settlers in the 19th century after they saw a “J-tree” that looked like the prophet holding out his hands.
Why It’s Beneficial for Your Homestead
Keystone species: J-trees are considered such an important part of Mojave ecosystem that they have been classified as a keystone species (essential for the survival of many other species due to the food, shelter, and nesting resources it provides).
Supports wildlife: J-trees provide excellent food and shelter for many birds, reptiles, mammals, and insects.
Useful to humans: Native Americans used J-trees as a food and shelter source and to create clothing and tools. Indeed, Joshua trees have edible seeds, flowers, fruits, and young flower stalks.
Creates microclimates: They create microclimates within their shade and shaggy bark, which is extremely important for many species.
Reduces erosion: They reduce soil erosion and add to biodiversity.
How to Grow It on Your Homestead
They are elevation-specific species that tend to grow between 2,000 and 6,000 feet, so first, check your homestead’s elevation.
Next, they must have well-drained, xeric soils (think rocky or sandy) that lean toward extreme dryness and no fertilizer additives.
They do best in extremely hot climates with little to no humidity and access to full sunlight. These are desert-thriving plants and will do best in such conditions.
Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea)
While J-trees are characteristic of the Mojave Desert, the saguaro, is a dweller of the Sonoran Desert.
While Joshua trees tend to grow wonky and weird, saguaros grow characteristically uniform, having the same general formations that coincide with the age of the cactus. They tend to start as one main trunk growing straight upward, and with age, begin growing side arms that curve away from the main trunk and then up.
Why It’s Beneficial for Your Homestead
Keystone species: The saguaro is an important species in Sonoran ecology that is also considered a keystone species.
Cultural significance: In the Tohono O’odham culture, the calendar and ceremonies are based off the cycles of the saguaro cactus.
Supports wildlife: Quite a few desert-dwelling birds utilize saguaros for shelter. The gila woodpecker specifically will excavate holes into saguaros and use them for nesting. Even more species eat the fruit, flowers, and seeds.
Useful to humans: Humans in particular eat the fruit of saguaros (raw, cooked, and made into syrups).
How to Grow It on Your Homestead
Saguaros, like Joshua trees, have elevational preferences, but they prefer lower elevations. They grow from sea level to about 5,000 feet maximum (and only that high on south-facing slopes where they are guaranteed more sunlight and less chance of freezing temperatures).
Check the elevation of your homestead. The higher up your land, the more important it is that your property is south-facing and has plenty of sunlight to ward off colder temperatures. Saguaros do best in hot, dry places and need access to full sunlight. In the Sonoran, there are seasonal monsoons that provide just enough water for the saguaro to survive all year. Saguaros also need well-drained, xeric, dry soils (sandy or rocky).
Desert Tortoises
Now that we’ve covered one Mojave Desert species and one Sonoran Desert species, let’s cover desert tortoises.
There are two different species of desert tortoise, one of which lives in the Sonoran and the other in the Mojave. To the common observer, these species are identical and only distinguished by range.
Why They’re Beneficial for Your Homestead
Keystone species: Desert tortoises, as with our last two species, are keystone species.
Creates habitats: Desert tortoises dig burrows that can be extensive, consisting of multiple entrances and exits, chambers, and varying lengths and depths. These burrows offer critical protection from harsh desert elements, maintaining a consistent internal temperature, providing warmth when the desert plummets to below freezing, and cool shelter when the desert inevitably rises to scorching hot temperatures.
Supports biodiversity: Many animal species, outside of tortoises, utilize these burrows for the exact reasons tortoises dig them. These species can include burrowing owls, jackrabbits, pack rats, gila monsters, and gopher snakes, as well as many others. Having desert tortoises around symbolizes a healthy, thriving ecosystem that is home to many other plants and animals.
How to Attract and Support Them on Your Homestead
The tortoises are very regionally specific. You have to be living in the Sonoran or Mojave for this to be a possibility.
If you check that box, consider your surrounding landscape. Is it developed or rural? If the answer is rural, and the desert conditions surrounding you are pristine, there is a possibility you could already have tortoises on your homestead.
The best way to incorporate them is to simply create conditions that would attract them.
- Plant local native species
- Allow the desert to be a desert
The tortoise’s range map can show you if they occur in your area. Check your homestead, or surrounding public lands, for half-moon-shaped burrows with an apron of dirt excavated around it. These are characteristics of a tortoise burrow.
As a general note, desert tortoises (both Mojave and Sonoran) are listed on the Endangered Species Act and are illegal to move, mess with, harm, or touch in any way.
Creosote (Larrea tridentata)
If you’ve ever been in the desert after a fresh rain, you’ve smelled creosote. Creosote has a uniquely strong scent that is easily detected if you sniff the freshly crushed leaves.
It has a unique adaptation called allelopathy, which means it inhibits other plants from growing too close by releasing chemicals into the soil. That means creosote does not compete with other plants for water or nutrients in an already resource-depleted environment.
It also means that creosotes tend to grow with uniform spacing between them and other plants (easy landscaping). Check out the above image for an example.
Why It’s Beneficial for Your Homestead
Medicinal uses: Creosote is primarily medicinal. Indeed, if I were to assign a word to describe the smell of creosote, it would be medicinal. Creosote has been used for a wide range of ailments from skin problems to menstrual cramps.
Supports wildlife: Provides valuable habitat for wildlife.
Protects soil: Erosion protection and creates microclimates.
Practical uses: It has been used as a food and natural fiber preservative, and as glue,
How to Grow It on Your Homestead
Creosote is a highly unique species that is well adapted to live in the desert. Being an evergreen shrub with thick, leathery leaves, it holds onto moisture well and requires little to survive.
Another species that needs well-drained, xeric soil that is dry, creosote requires little to no water. If the above description did not give it away, this plant does not want close neighbors. Creosote does best on its own, with a few feet of space between neighbors. It wants full sunlight, hot weather, little humidity, shade, and fertilizer, and generally to be left alone.
Ocotillo (Fouquieria splendens)
Ocotillo, or “little flame”, is so named from the bright red flowers it produces once a year. This plant is a characteristic species of the Sonoran Desert, and is not usually found in the Mojave unless it has been planted for landscaping purposes.
Why It’s Beneficial for Your Homestead
Medicinal and edible: Ocotillo has been found to have a wide range of medicinal uses. It has quite tasty leaves that are a great addition to salads. I’ve tried it, and it’s really yummy!
Supports pollinators: While the flowers are in bloom, they provide valuable nectar for hummingbirds of many different species. Indeed, having ocotillos on your homestead is a great way to attract hummingbirds.
How to Grow It on Your Homestead
If you’d like more information on ocotillo, please check out this previously written Insteading article: https://insteading.com/blog/ocotillo-facts/
Roadrunners
An aptly named bird that I’ve seen running across roads in the desert, the roadrunner is a beautiful, easily identifiable bird that acts as an opportunistic predator and scavenger. They are known for their remarkable speed on land (hence their name). They are capable of flight, but seem to prefer running along the ground instead.
Why They’re Beneficial for Your Homestead
Natural pest control: Roadrunners eat insects, amphibians, and reptiles, as well as carrion. They very efficiently keep insect populations at bay. They’re clearly great to have around for gardening purposes, given they won’t eat or uproot your plants, and will eat the things that want to eat your plants. Great pest control.
How to Attract and Support Them on Your Homestead
First, make sure you live in their range (that’s step one).
Roadrunners are attracted to places with great shelter. They typically avoid wide open spaces and look for places with many dispersed shrubs and chaparral. In fact, the thicker the shrub, the more attractive it can be for mating.
Considering what roadrunners like to eat, allowing insects and small reptiles to be present on your homestead will attract roadrunners.
These birds are nonmigratory, meaning if you have a breeding pair on your homestead, they will stay around year after year and raise their young there. It’s a special experience and a great way to get to know a wild animal in a more personal way.
Prickly Pear Cactus / Beavertail Cactus
There are many different species and varieties of prickly pear/beavertail cactus. The shape of the cactus pads, size and density of the spines, and color of the flowers, can all change according to the species. Prickly pear cactuses are beautiful plants that always bring a smile to my face when I see them blooming, regardless of the color of the flowers. They have big, bright, showy flower blooms that light up the desert.
How Are They Beneficial?
Edible uses: The juicy fruits they produce are edible. The fruit can be eaten raw (after spine removal), baked, or made into jams and syrups. The pads of the cactus can also be eaten.
Medicinal and practical uses: There are some noted medicinal uses as well, and people have made dyes from the flowers.
Aesthetic value: Having these plants around can be a great way to liven up your homestead, bringing a beautiful, native plant to the landscape.
How to Incorporate on Your Homestead
This may be starting to sound like a broken record, but desert plants are pretty uniform with what their needs are. Prickly pear likes well-drained, xeric soils that are consistently dry. They like hot, dry climates with little humidity, full sunlight and little to no water.
Final Thoughts
I hope these short narratives on the mentioned species have given a viewpoint of appreciation to the reader. One can gather that these species all serve their purpose and are needed in their own way. Having any of them present on your homestead can be a boon.
The plants listed all provide important wildlife habitat, reduce soil erosion, create microclimates, can give food, tools, and creative inspiration — not to mention a good laugh when looking at a particularly unique Joshua tree formation.
The animals I have listed likewise have their roles, whether providing habitat for other animals, being part of the food chain, dispersing seeds, or simply being there, as a vital part of the desert.