Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Ocotillo Bareroot
Ocotillo is the Sonoran Desert's signature cane plant, with tall, spiny canes that leaf out after rain and bloom with red-orange flower spikes in spring. Hummingbirds and bees come to the flowers. Planted bareroot, it is the classic way to add that tall desert silhouette to a yard. Once rooted, it needs very little water.
Best for: hummingbird plantings, a tall desert focal point, and a living fence or barrier.
Red-orange flower spikes top the canes in late winter and spring, and again after good summer rains. Hummingbirds and bees visit them, so plant it where you can watch from the house.
Its spiny canes rise 10 to 20 feet and fan out 10 to 15 feet wide. One plant makes a strong vertical accent against a wall or in open gravel.
Planted 6 to 8 feet apart, a row of ocotillos makes a spiny living fence. Keep it back from walkways and play areas.
Too much water after planting can kill it, and soil that holds water rots the roots. Bareroot plants can look like bare sticks for months, sometimes up to two years, before they root in.
- Grouping or screen6-8 ft apart
- Living fence row6 ft apart
Plant it no deeper than it grew, with the original south side facing south. Do not cut back the canes. Large stones near the base can steady it until it roots.
Water it in right away, then water weekly in summer and once or twice a month in winter. Spray the canes with a hose when you water, since they take up water.
Too much water after planting can kill it. Rooting can take 6 months to 2 years; it is rooted when it leafs out and flowers on its own.
Once it leafs out and flowers on its own, water about once or twice a month in the hottest months. It needs little or no water in the cool months.
Never trim it like a shrub or top the canes. If a cane is dead or in the way, cut it off at the base.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
Do hummingbirds like ocotillo?
Yes. Hummingbirds visit the red-orange tube flowers in spring, along with bees. Plant it where you can see it from a window.
Is ocotillo a cactus?
No. It is a woody desert shrub, not a cactus, which is why it leafs out after rain and is watered and planted a little differently.
How do I water a bareroot ocotillo?
Water it in right after planting. Then water about weekly in summer and once or twice a month in winter, and spray the canes when you water, since they take in moisture. Keep the soil from staying soggy.
My ocotillo has no leaves. Is it dead?
Most likely it is not. Ocotillos drop their leaves whenever the soil dries, and new plantings can stay bare for months while they root. Keep up the watering schedule and be patient.
How big does ocotillo get?
It usually grows 10 to 20 feet tall, with canes fanning 10 to 15 feet wide. Give it room away from paths.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly, though a little extra water in summer can speed it up. Too much water can rot the roots, so keep soaks spaced out.
Is ocotillo cold hardy in Phoenix?
Yes. It takes about 10°F before serious injury, well below normal Valley winters, so it needs no frost cover.
When does it bloom?
It blooms in late winter and spring, and it can bloom again after good summer rains. Less water tends to push more bloom once it is rooted.
Can I cut back or top my ocotillo?
Never top it, because flowers form at the cane tips. If a cane is dead or in the way, cut the whole cane off near the base.
When is the best time to plant ocotillo in Phoenix?
Plant it from March through May, when warm soil helps it root. Face it the same direction it grew before.
Is it safe around dogs?
The spines are the concern. The stiff, sharp canes can poke paws, faces and eyes, so plant it away from where dogs run.
Ocotillo Bareroot for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Bareroot ocotillo is the classic way to plant the Sonoran Desert's tall cane silhouette and its spring hummingbird show. Below are the questions people ask most about planting, watering and growing it here.
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Ocotillo and hummingbirds
Ocotillo blooms with red-orange flower spikes in late winter and spring. Hummingbirds and bees visit the flowers, and it can bloom again after summer rains.
How to plant a bareroot ocotillo
Plant from March through May, facing the same direction it grew before. Set it no deeper than it grew, skip organic amendments, and leave the canes uncut.
Watering a new ocotillo
Water it in right away, then about weekly in summer and twice a month in winter while it roots. Spray the canes every few days, and never keep the soil soggy.
Is my ocotillo dead?
Most likely it is not. Bare canes are normal in dry spells, and new plantings can stay bare for months while they root.
Watering an established ocotillo
Once it leafs out and flowers on its own, water about once or twice a month in the hottest months and little in the cool months.
Pruning ocotillo the right way
Never top the canes, since flowers form at the tips. Remove a dead or problem cane by cutting it off near the base.
Ocotillo in winter
It takes about 10°F, so normal Valley freezes do not hurt it.
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