The Joshua Trees

A number of my Tree Portraits focus on the Joshua Tree (Yucca brevifolia) — a most iconic, fragile species found only in the southwestern United States.

In 2020, the Western Joshua Tree became the first plant to be granted protection under the California Endangered Species Act due to the direct impacts of climate change. Although that ruling was briefly overturned, it was reinstated in 2023 — a recognition of just how urgent its situation has become.

Rising drought and extreme temperatures have severely reduced the Joshua Tree’s ability to bloom, reproduce, and spread naturally. Their plight was further highlighted by catastrophic wildfires: in 2020, more than 43,000 acres of the Cima Dome region of San Bernardino burned, destroying the vast majority of an estimated 1.3 million trees.
Then in 2023, the even larger York Fire underscored their extreme vulnerability.

Because Joshua Tree populations are so geographically isolated, they have little chance of migrating slowly north to cooler climates. Some scientists believe that recent bursts of intense flowering may be a last attempt at survival — a desperate investment of energy into reproduction before conditions worsen further.

Both the Western and Eastern Joshua Trees are keystone species within the Mojave Desert ecosystem, supporting birds, mammals, reptiles, and countless insects. Their decline has cascading effects on biodiversity. To counter this, volunteers are working to plant seedlings in the Mojave National Preserve, using protective berms (small raised earth mounds) to help retain precious moisture and shield young trees from harsh conditions.

The photographs that inspired these Joshua Tree monoprints came from two generous sources: images of Mojave trees by Kovi Konowiecki, first published in The Guardian (January 2022), and photographs from Pete Nevin taken in Joshua Tree National Park.