Botanical atlas

Ocotillo

Fouquieria splendens

Ocotillo has long been valued by desert peoples of the Sonoran and Chihuahuan borderlands, including the Seri, Tohono O'odham, and other Southwestern communities, who found many uses for a plant that seems to thrive on almost nothing. The bark was traditionally simmered into a wash or tincture-like preparation applied to sore, tired limbs and used as a gentle skin rinse, while the bright red flowers were steeped as a refreshing, faintly tart drink during the brief spring bloom. Curanderos and traditional healers along the border have also used ocotillo bark preparations to support circulation and ease congestion in the legs and pelvis. Because it leafs out almost overnight after rain and drops its leaves again in drought, it has also long been regarded by desert dwellers as a living signal of the seasons.

Safety.

Ocotillo isn't known to be significantly toxic, but its bark and flower preparations haven't been well studied and aren't recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding. It also grows very slowly, so harvest sparingly and respectfully.