Tag Archives: desert shrub

busting out all over


There was a banner crop of Jojoba nuts this year. This shot from yesterday shows how they eventually end up on the ground. As the shell dries, it curls and the nuts literally fall out of their shells.

I really enjoy eating them and when I read they have a much longer shelf life than regular nuts, I decided to do some harvesting. Donning my big hat, Chris said I looked like Juan Valdez picking coffee beans 🙂 I found directions for roasting them which worked well and they taste even better roasted.

harvest time

jojoba nuts
Jojoba nuts (Simmondsia chinensis) are ready for harvesting and I picked a bagful last night. They look and taste a little like filberts. They’re described as being a little bitter which I noticed with the first few I ate but now I think they’re delicious! They have a very long shelf life and won’t go rancid like the many tree nuts we know. Click here for an excellent description.

Acourtia wrightii

acourtia wrightii
The most exciting find (thanks Chris!) this weekend was Acourtia wrightii commonly called Brownfoot or Perezia. The leaves and flowers looked almost identical to the Desert Holly I photographed last year but this plant was 2-3 feet taller. As it turns out, they are of the same genus: Acourtia. The dwarf version is Acourtia nana. This one and another were spotted on the Preserve near Brown’s Ranch. One was at the base of a Catclaw (ouch) and the other at the base of a Palo Verde.

The next day, we hiked the Cactus Trail at Granite Mountain and found several large specimens out in the open. Some were just starting to bloom and some were in full bloom as shown in the photos below.
acourtia wrightii

acourtia wrightii