The Dragoon Mountains are a low range that barely rises above the surrounding desert floor. A history trail tells about the area’s colorful past when the Apache leader Cochise used these mountains for refuge from his enemies. The self-guided Stronghold Nature Trail introduces many of the area’s common plants. The campground itself rests under a canopy of evergreen oaks. Try hiking along the Cochise Trail (#279) to see what other ferns you can find.Ĭochise Stronghold in the Dragoon Mountains is a good place to learn about southeastern Arizona’s desert plants. Spiny cliffbrake ( Pellaea truncata) is also common. Fairy sword ( Cheilanthes lindheimeri) is one desert fern that grows abundantly among the granite boulders near the Cochise Stronghold Campground in southeastern Arizona. Visit the Southern Arizona Desert Plants website for a photo guide to desert ferns and their characteristics. These ferns have fronds that curl up and appear dead during prolonged dry weather, but then expand under moist conditions. Cochise Stronghold, A Desert Ferns Forayĭescription: Yes, ferns do grow in deserts! At least the xerophytic ferns that are often called “resurrection plants”. Spiny cliffbrake is one of the most common xerophytic brake ferns. This is the same species of fern as the photo above the fronds have unrolled in the fern’s “wet phase”. It is common to see desert ferns and succulent plants growing together.
These fairy sword ferns “dry phase” are growing with Schott’s century plant ( Agave schottii). The granite boulders in the Dragoon Mountains make great habitats for desert ferns. The Cochise Stronghold Campground is nestled under a grove of evergreen oaks.
Pollinator-Friendly Best Management Practices.
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