Fouquieria macdougallii- Living Stones Nursery & Plants for the Southwest

Fouquieria macdougallii is a southern version of our native southwestern ocotillo (say 'oh-ko-tee-yo'). It's range starts about 60 miles south of the US border in north-central Sonora, and continues south just into Sinaloa, with a few sightings east into Chihuahua (say 'chi-wah-wa'). Its northern limit is governed by hard frosts. This species is hardy to about 26° F, but not much more. It is generally grown as a container plant, even here in the arid southwest.
	The typical growth form of F. macdougallii is as a 'large shrub. It branches freely, unlike our native ocotillo (F. splendens) which essentially branches only at the base. If crowded by other plants, it will grow tall and thin, more treelike. This thickened stem is also where the Mexican tree ocotillo stores some water to use in time of drought. These plants are good summer growers and respond well to high temperatures coupled with lots of water. They are drought deciduous, and are usually dormant in winter, unless kept in a heated greenhouse. They tolerate full sun well as larger plants (ten inch pots or bigger) and develop a well-branched, stout form under these conditions.
There are typically three flushes of flowering from spring until early fall, but a large plant is rarely without a few flowers. The flower clusters are more lax than those of our native ocotillo, and the flowers are longer and narrower. They are attractive to hummingbirds, which are probably the main pollinators. F. macdougallii can flower in a 6 inch pot at three years of age. This species is best grown from seed, but cuttings will root and in time produce plants that are indistinguishable from seedlings. It is named after D.T. MacDougal, director of the Desert Laboratory in the early part of the last century, at Tumomoc Hill here in Tucson.