Simmondsia chinensis (Jojoba)

Photographs

My photos:

This photo was taken in February at Anza Borrego, in the Visitor Center garden. The photo below shows the whole plant.

More photos:

click photo to enlarge

Plant Information

Simmondsiaceae

In the garden:

With its rigid branches, this shrub will grow to heights of 3 to 6 feet. The leaves are leathery, gray-green, and deciduous. It flowers from March to May, with a disappointing display. Male and female flowers are located on separate plants; consequently, both are needed for fruit formation. Young plants are rather tender, but once established, they will tolerate temperatures down to 15 o F and will require little water. Prefers full sun and lots of heat. Serves well as a clipped hedge and as a foundation planting in a desert garden.

In the wild:

Locally common on dry, barren slopes below 5000 feet. This plant is also known as Deer Nut and/or GoatNut. In the United States, jojoba occurs in the Sonoran Desert from west
Riverside and San Diego counties, California; east through Imperial County, California, to southern Yavapai and Greenlee counties, Arizona; south to Cochise, Pima, and Yuma counties, Arizona . Jojoba is also distributed throughout Baja California and Sonora, Mexico, and is found on islands in the Gulf of California. Jojoba foliage is important forage for livestock and wildlife and may provide the best browse available within its range.

Ethnobotany:

The fruit is oily and bitter, but is edible raw. The nuts were once used as coffee-like beverage. The oil from this plant has replaced the use of whale oil and bees wax in electronic insulation; as a result, it represents a cash crop for marginal land. The oil was and still is used as a dermatological remedy.

Field Trips
Anza Borrego Caspers Holy Jim Canyon Idyllwild
Joshua Tree Mt Palomar Rancho Santa Ana Torrey Pines

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