Worth knowing:
The Joshua Tree belongs to the Yucca family and counts as one of the symbols of the North American desert flora. Some plants are more than 900 years old. Its name was given by the Mormons for whom the outstretched branches were seen as the arms of Josua, who showed the way to the Promised Land to the Israelites. The slow-growing Joshua Tree with its ensiform leaves is perfectly suited for cultivation as a tub plant. The branched and upright standing or tilted sideways narrow inflorescence springs from the leaves. During blossoming, from March until May, the tree produces its globose creme-coloured flowers.
Natural Location:
The natural habitat of the Joshua Tree is the Mojave Desert, which stretches from California – were also the Joshua Tree National Park is located – to Arizona and Nevada until the US state of Utah.
Cultivation:
Seed propagation indoors is possible throughout the year. To increase the germinability, you can place the seeds for 24 hours in warm water for priming. Then, spread the seeds onto moist potting compost or cactus compost, put just a little compost earth on top, and cover the seed container with clear film to prevent the earth from drying out. Don’t forget to make some holes in the clear film and take it every second or third day completely off for about 2 hours. That way you avoid mold formation on your potting compost. Place the seed container somewhere bright and warm with a temperature between 20°C and 25°C and keep the earth moist, but not wet. It will take two to eight weeks until germination.
Place:
For developing a generic growth, the Joshua Tree needs a bright and preferable full sunny spot. During summer it can also be kept in a wind-protected, full sunny place outdoors, ideally near a heat-preserving wall.
Care:
Your Joshua Tree can cope with a short dry period, but basically the soil should always be kept moist, without waterlogging. The pot or tub ideally contains mixed earth with a fair amount of loam and sand. From April until September it is best to give fertilizer for tub plants every two to three weeks.
During the winter:
In regions with a mild winter the Joshua Tree can be planted outdoors at a protected spot, where it can also hibernate. However, as a tub plant, it is best to keep it in a very bright place with temperatures between 5° and 20° Celsius during the winter period. Water the tree modestly, but don’t let the clotted roots dry out. Old leaves will die back from the bottom and cover progressively the trunk of the tree.
Picture credits:
- © © Stan Shebs - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Frank Laue - © Saflax - http://www.saflax.de/copyright
- © Adrião - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Stan Shebs - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Wing-Chi Poon - CC-BY-SA-2.5 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
- © Pomakis, Photo by Keith Pomakis - CC-BY-SA-2.5 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5
- © Stan Shebs - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
- © Stan Shebs - CC-BY-SA-3.0 - http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0
