QUICK FACT: Can live for centuries and grows so slowly that changes may take decades to notice.

THREATS: Prolonged drought and intensifying aridity driven by climate change.

IMPORTANCE: Provides shelter, nectar, and moisture in desert landscapes; signals ecosystem stress.

Photo credit: Oscar Maeyer

QUICK FACT: Can live for centuries and grows so slowly that changes may take decades to notice.

THREATS: Prolonged drought and intensifying aridity driven by climate change.

IMPORTANCE: Provides shelter, nectar, and moisture in desert landscapes; signals ecosystem stress.

Photo credit: Oscar Maeyer