What's an Ocotillo?

  
It's not a cactus, though the ocotillo (pronounced o-ko-tee'-yo) is native to the Sonoran and Chihuahuan Desert regions of southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The only American native of the eleven species in the family Fouquieria, F. splendens can be found on dry, rocky slopes below 5,000 feet. It is a funnel-shaped plant with several woody, mostly unbranched spiny and straight stems—often called canes—growing to 30 feet in height. It is dry most of the year, but after heavy rain leaves appear followed by clusters of red flowers atop the branches. With dryness the leaves and flowers fall, the cycle repeating again after rain.

Why Ocotillo Design?

The name Ocotillo Design was chosen for three reasons. First, ocotillo is an elegant word, resonating with design, the core of our craft and impetus behind our business. Second, ocotillos weather the desert's harshest extremes, yet always return with a nearly tropical exuberance. Third, ocotillos represent a regional botanical vernacular, a sense of place for the Sonoran Desert that is our home—a home worth protecting and celebrating.

Likewise, Ocotillo Design crafts Websites that are elegant, able to withstand the extremes of online culture and business, and strong in their virtual sense of place. Websites, project management, and graphical and narrative content by Ocotillo Design embody the spirit of the ocotillo, both in its ability to survive and thrive, as well as the grace of its floral architecture.

Learn more about our commitment to preserving the built and natural environments through the creation of your online environment. Ocotillo Design donates at least 10% of all profits to Sonoran Desert community-building and environmental preservation efforts.

To learn more about how Ocotillo Design can craft your virtual sense of place, review the sections of this Website, then request a bid or contact us.