The other little tidbit that blew my mind was that the Joshua Tree relies almost solely for regeneration on a moth species called the Pronuba. In the cycle of life for the tree the moth is vital. In spring, the pollen that the moth collects from the Joshua Tree flowers and spreads for her brood produces the seeds upon which the young caterperpillars feed. Not to worry though, the larvae do not eat most of the seeds as they hatch and there are plenty left in the prods to produce new Joshua trees.
Unfortunately I discovered this cool tree just at the end of the day when the great light earlier had pretty much disappeared, leaving this image a bit flat. So there’s always I’ll be back, but as we all discover...it won’t ever be the same.