Boojum Tree, Fouquieria columnaris. February 28, 2008. Carefree, Arizona, Desert Foothills Gardens Nursery.

Small Boojum Tree. Fouquieria columnaris.	Small Boojum Tree. Fouquieria columnaris.
Boojum Tree Trunk. Fouquieria columnaris.	Boojum Tree Leaves. Fouquieria columnaris.
Boojum Tree Flowers. Fouquieria columnaris.	Boojum Tree Flowers. Fouquieria columnaris.
Boojum Tree Seed Pods. Fouquieria columnaris.	Boojum Tree Seeds. Fouquieria columnaris.

Boojum Tree. Fouquieria columnaris, Ocotillo Family ( Fouquieraceae ) Boojum Tree: Also Called: Idria columnaris, Candlewood, or Cirio. We wish to thank Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia for some of the information on this page. We share images and information with Wikipedia. Fouquieria columnaris, the Boojum tree or (Spanish) cirio (syn. Idria columnaris) is a tree in the family Fouquieriaceae, whose other members include the ocotillos. It is nearly endemic to the Baja California Peninsula, with only a small population in the Sierra Bacha of Sonora, Mexico. A large stem succulent, very slow growing, to about 55 feet high, with a gently tapering trunk, similar to a tall candle, or upside down carrot, about 1 - 3 foot wide at its base. The trunk has pencil-like short branches with deciduous leaves. On older trees, or trees that have had a freeze, the main trunk splits into two or more stems near the top. It has cream to yellow tubular flowers which bloom from May to June in Phoenix and appear at the tops of the trunks and near the stem tips. This is a rather rare and expensive plant. Drought deciduous and they drop their leaves if they lack water. They might then look dead. Desert Foothills Gardens Nursery in Cave Creek, Arizona grows these plants and they have several large plants for sale. They say the plants grow easily from seed. Large plants sell for about $1000.00 a foot. Seedling plants are inexpensive. Quick Notes: Height: Up To 55 feet tall and 1 1/2 feet wide. Most are about 15 - 20 feet tall. Trunk: Up to about 36 inches in diameter. Bark: Brown - gray, smooth; with paired, straight spines. Flowers: Panicles of cream to yellow tubular flowers, about 1 inch long, occuring in spike-like clusters (12 to 20 inches long) near the tops of the tree. Blooming Time: May to June in the Phoenix Area. Seed Pod: Light brown seeds in a 3 valved elongated (1 inch long) capsule. Seeds about 1/4 inch long. Leaves: Alternate, obovate, 1/2 to 1 1/2 inches long, with entire margins, fleshy, occuring in bunches, yellow-green to blue-green in color. Stems/Trunks: A redish-brown, finely furrowed bark. 3 to 14 inches in diameter. Found: Introduced from Mexico, especially from the desert of northern Baja California & Puerto Libertad, which is a town and port of the Mexican state of Sonora, Mexico located on the north coast of the Gulf of California, in the municipality of Pitiquito. Elevation: 0 to 3,800 feet. Hardiness: USDA Zone 9b: to -3.8 �C (25 �F) USDA Zone 10a: to -1.1 �C (30 �F) USDA Zone 10b: to 1.7 �C (35 �F) USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 �C (40 �F) Soil pH requirements: 6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic) 6.6 to 7.5 (neutral) 7.6 to 7.8 (mildly alkaline) Sun Exposure: Full Sun Habitat: Rocky hillsides and alluvial plains. Rare Xeriscape ornamental in lower elevations or Arizona. Miscellaneous: Photos Taken October 11, 2006. Phoenix Desert Botanical Garden. Not native to Arizona. Photos Taken February 28, 2008. We found beautiful specimans at Desert Foothills Gardens Nursery in Cave Creek, Arizona.