Joshua Tree Sojourn: Part Three

Filed in archive on May 7, 2006

The oasis. What a symbol of relief and a harbinger of survival! As my boots trod the desert path, kicking dust and sliding on miniscule rocks, I could not help but ponder the concept of where I was heading. Lost Palms Oasis is the largest oasis in Joshua Tree National Park, and has the largest stand of Fan Palms in North America.




Before cars, radios, television. When the mule ruled. When buzzards flying overhead were not just vultures but something to be feared for their potential. Those who crossed these desert hills in search of lord only knows what must have been beyond ecstatic to find an oasis like Lost Palms. Running water!

Back to the future, there I was, standing on a rocky precipice looking down at the several hundred yard gully stuffed with as many Desert Fan Palms as imaginable in such a narrow stretch. These hardy trees define an ecosystem. They demarcate the line between life and death. Between water and dry. Between dry and dust.




All of the many creatures of the desert flock to these oases at one time or another for survival. They are spread apart by many miles, which only reinforces just how robust the life must be to make it in this intriguing biome. In all of North America, according to the Joshua Tree Guide, there are only 158 of these desert palm oases. Five are within the Joshua Tree National Park lines.

While standing at the base of this amazing collection of wizened veterans of the arboreal variety I noticed something right away. There was a noticeable change in the density of life. Out there on the lonely, dusty trails zig zagging through cacti clusters and ridge lines one gets the feeling like there may not be another creature around for miles. The Jackrabbits at dusk will tell you otherwise, but here, under the shade of the Palms, there is almost a frenzy of life activity compared to your average square yard of Joshua Tree earth.




Some locust species was buzzing all about, creating a percussive symphony as they beat down upon the fronds while jumping to and fro. This brought the hungry birds swooping down for mouthfuls of insect protein. Although we did not see them, the Bighorn desert sheep came for a drink at the first drops of sunlight across the frying pan of dirt and rock that is Joshua Tree.




Washingtonia filifera is native to these southern California desert lowlands, and they can live almost as long as a century, lifting their rough fronds almost seventy-five feet into the sky. These prehistoric behemoths of the tree family can weigh as much as three tons! Three tons! Part of their immaculate design is for the species to thrive in fires, adults are rarely harmed by fire, and it removes competitors and allows space for seed germination for the Palms.

The Cahuillas were a tribe that lived in harmonic union with their surroundings here in the deserts that included the current park border lines. Providing an example of the level of understanding that our native American population had with the natural world is the fact that they used to set fire to their oases. This was with the full confidence that this would strengthen the Palm community which was an irreplaceable resource in their lives.

ER Harris

Source: The Joshua Tree Guide