Contributor: Joshua trees survived being loathed. Now they're beloved and at risk

"The recent government shutdown left Joshua Tree National Park vulnerable to vandalism during peak visitor season, with the Mojave Desert Land Trust reporting graffiti and habitat destruction. Conservation groups have petitioned for federal protections under the Endangered Species Act. "Love them, hug them, kiss them even, but never climb or hang from them," the National Park Service reminded visitors after Miley Cyrus posted photos of herself hanging from an ancient Joshua's branches in 2019."

"But doing research for a book on Joshua trees, I discovered something unexpected: White Americans who first encountered these trees didn't just dislike them. They despised them with a passion rarely directed at any plant species. The historical record reveals remarkable vitriol. Explorer John C. Frémont's 1844 description of the Joshua tree as "the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom" was just the beginning. What followed was a cascade of Victorian-era contempt."

"Writers called the trees "grotesque," "infernal" and "uncouth." The flowers were described as "dull, lead colored things," "fetid" and "horrible ... exceedingly disagreeable." One observer noted the tree was "weird, twisted" and had "a nightmare effect even in broad daylight." Another wrote that the trees "waved their arms like grotesque monsters in pain." Even the tree's biblical namesake couldn't redeem it. One writer noted there was "no great compliment involved in having this spiteful looking object for a namesa"

Joshua trees face potential functional extinction by 2070 without significant climate action. Climate change, expanding visitation, and instances of vandalism have increased threats to the species and its habitat. Millions of visitors seek the trees' distinctive silhouettes, prompting conservation groups to petition for federal Endangered Species Act protections. Park officials warn against climbing or hanging from the trees to protect ancient specimens. Historical accounts show intense early White American hostility toward the trees, with Victorian-era writers describing them and their flowers in terms such as grotesque, fetid, and repulsive.

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