Container grown ocotillos are often available at gardening stores. Jeffry Scott/Arizona Daily Star. 136863.
Q: I have two ocotillos that I planted myself about seven years ago. Both are oddly shaped but growing well from their original size of about 1 foot. They grow 6 to 10 inches a year, green up at the appropriate time but neither has ever bloomed in the spring. They are not on drip but one is near a drip line and the other is not. I water them very occasionally. I have tried fertilizing and not fertilizing. It seems to have no effect. What can I do to encourage blooming? The tallest branches on them are about 7 to 8 feet tall.
A:Β Ocotillos (Fouquieria splendens) are tough plants and can usually be counted on for blooms in the spring. Because these plants have the ability to put on leaves when there is sufficient water and drop them when it is dry we call them drought deciduous. Their ability to produce flowers is likely also related to available water so you can keep an eye on how often they leaf out to see if they are doing well.
The main factors for blooming are the age of the plant and the number and length of branches that are reproductively active. These are obviously not something we can control so your best bet is to make sure it is otherwise healthy by watering appropriately. That means every 14 to 21 days down to 24 to 36 inches in the spring, summer, and fall. In winter, you can skip the irrigation and let nature take its course. These plants do fine without fertilizer in their native habitat unless you are planting it in a container.
Peter L. Warren is the urban horticulture agent for the Pima County Cooperative Extension and the University of Arizona. Questions may be emailed toΒ plwarren@cals.arizona.edu.
