Fouquieria columnaris boojum tree

Fouquieria columnaris (center) in the Arizona Garden. Sairus Patel, 18 Apr 2023

Fouquieria columnaris in the Arizona Garden (removed). John Rawlings, ca. 2004

A prickly, green-trunked succulent with creamy flowers and leaves that fall off, leaving spines behind. An alternative genus name is Idria.

A handsome, 9-foot, unbranched column stands near the southern edge of the Arizona Garden, between the tree yucca and the floss silk tree. One of the first specimens planted at the start of the garden’s restoration, it was about 18 inches tall in 1999. Flowers were seen forming a little crown in 2023.

Other taller, branching specimens in the Arizona Garden didn’t survive: one near the other tree yucca was removed in 2004. Another, transplanted from a residence in San Jose in 2003 to a spot just outside the southern edge of the garden struggled to be established. It was removed in 2017.

Stem, branchlets, leaves of Fouquieria columnaris in the Arizona Garden (removed). John Rawlings, ca. 2004

Fouquieria columnaris just outside the southern edge of the Arizona Garden (removed). Sairus Patel, 29 Sep 2018