Cactus to Creosote: Identifying Plants in the Field

Unravel the mysteries of common desert plants through field observation and botanical keys! This class covers terminology, plant dissection skills, and identification fundamentals including botanical keys and online resources. Take your newfound knowledge out for a walk to practice identifying desert plants in the field.

• This class is held at Black Rock, with the classroom portion taking place in the Black Rock Nature Center education room.
• This beginner-friendly class is suitable for beginner to intermediate botanical explorers. No expertise or experience is required.
• No park pass is required.
• No meals or equipment are provided.

The indoor portion of this class is ADA accessible. It requires very little travel with ADA accommodations, such as accessible parking, available.

The outdoor portion is leisurely and can be modified to accommodate participants. It requires less than 2 miles of walking with shade, seating, consistent terrain, and little to no elevation gain. Please email desertinstitute@joshuatree.org if you need specific accommodations.

Photo credit: NPS/Hannah Schwalbe