ABDNHA home | Desert Plants & Wildflowers | Index | Burseraceae | Bursera microphylla

Elephant Tree or Torote, Bursera microphylla

Elephant Tree or torote, Bursera microphylla
Burseraceae

The Elephant Tree comes from a large family which includes such plants as frankincense and myrrh. The other family members grow in latitudes to the south of Bursera microphylla, however.

In Anza-Borrego, the Elephant Tree is commonly seen at the Elephant Trees Nature Trail (south of Ocotillo Wells on Split Mountain Road), in Torote Bowl in the Mountain Palm Springs area, and in Torote Canyon which is reached from Indian Gorge. In 2010, 63 Elephant Trees were counted in the 3-mile area from the Elephant Trees Nature Trail southwest to Starfish Cove at the head of Alma Wash. Five Elephant Trees have been found in the Santa Rosa Mountains, in a remote area above Clark Dry Lake.

Torote, the Spanish word for the tree, is a combination of toro, which means bull, and the suffix -ote, which means large.

Elephant Tree or torote, Bursera microphylla
Burseraceae

Photo of the thick branches of an Elephant Tree
Elephant Tree, or Torote

Elephant Tree or torote, Bursera microphylla
Burseraceae

Closeup photo of the green fir-like branches of an Elephant Tree or Toroto, and red, cherry-like fruit
Elephant Tree with Fruit

Elephant Tree or torote, Bursera microphylla
Burseraceae

Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association
P O BOX 310 ( 652 Palm Canyon Drive) Borrego Springs, CA 92004-0310
Office 760-767-3052 | Desert Store & Nature Center 760-767-3098 | FAX 760-767-3099