Joshua Tree

The Joshua Tree Forest: A Tale of Resilience in the Desert

Unusual plants grow in this desert park—they’re called Joshua Trees. Twisted and tenacious, they thrive in a land sculpted by fierce winds and rare, torrential rains. Just a two- to three-hour drive from Los Angeles, this place always stirs something in me. I imagine how deep the roots of these desert trees must reach to find water. And how, in the stillness between boulders and sky, my own roots seem to reach inward—tapping a quiet wellspring of life. Joshua Tree forests speak of survival, of resilience, of a stark beauty shaped by endurance.

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

2022: Living Inside a Piece of Art – Robert Stone’s Acido Dorado in Joshua Tree

We spent a weekend with friends at Acido Dorado, a house in Joshua Tree designed by architect Robert Stone. A minimalist two-bedroom structure, it offers both spaciousness and intimacy. The dominant gold hue—bold yet harmonious—mirrors the desert’s warm tones and blends seamlessly with the surrounding landscape.

Mirrored surfaces are everywhere: sliding doors, a tiled ceiling, the dining table, even the coffee table. Each one reflects and refracts the desert light, creating an immersive, almost hallucinatory experience. I had the rare sensation of living inside a piece of art—reminded of Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Room, but grounded in sand and stone.

Gold is a color heavy with symbolism—uplifting in some cultures, derided in others. In the art world, it’s often associated with kitsch or “low culture.” But as Robert Stone once remarked, “The only people that care about distinctions between high and low culture aren’t interested in beauty or truth anyway.”

That night, the setting was perfect for watching the earth’s shadow slowly cover the moon—a quiet, cosmic wonder unfolding above a house that already felt like a dream.

2021: Exploring the Beauty of Joshua Tree in December’s Cold Light

“Some beautiful paths can’t be discovered without getting lost.” — Erol Ozan

When the days grow short and the cold sets in, it’s easy to stay home, to take the safer, warmer path. But in December, Joshua Tree National Park holds a quiet intensity. The chill sharpens the colors, and the sky—vast and piercing—can feel even more compelling than the surreal, moonlike boulders that define the landscape. The whole park becomes a kind of visual symphony, a haven for photographers.

The boulders, stacked as if by a playful giant, seem whimsical from a distance—like a child’s building blocks. But up close, their shapes tell a patient story of wind and water working together over millions of years. The spiky silhouettes of the Joshua trees call to mind, for me, the angular nude drawings of Egon Schiele. Danna might say they look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book. Both feel true.

Only a two- to three-hour drive from our home in Los Angeles, the park is a mecca for rock climbers. But I no longer feel the urge to scramble to the top of every formation. Much of the beauty is accessible from the road, though short hikes offer a deeper intimacy with the land. Split Rock, Hidden Valley, and the Cholla Cactus Garden—these are places not to miss.

As we drove, we listened to Benjamin Labatut’s When We Cease to Understand the World. The title alone captures something of what the book is about—but also, something of the park itself. There was something surreal about hearing tales of scientific obsession and unraveling minds while passing through this strange and beautiful terrain.

2020: The Joshua Tree – Symbol of Faith and Hope Amid the Barren Desert

Yucca brevifolia, better known as the Joshua tree, is a large, slow-growing species from the Yucca genus. It grows only in the Mojave Desert of the southwestern United States and parts of northwestern Mexico. Enduring fierce winds, scorching heat, and meager rainfall, the Joshua tree is a striking emblem of survival in adversity.

Early Mormon settlers gave it its biblical name, imagining the outstretched branches as the arms of the prophet Joshua raised in prayer. Much later, the band U2 saw in it a symbol of spiritual yearning—a metaphor for faith and hope set against a desolate, unforgiving landscape. That vision inspired The Joshua Tree album, a landmark in modern rock.

One of its most iconic tracks, With or Without You, is soaked in longing and emotional tension. Its lyrics are spare yet deeply evocative. Bono’s falsetto cries and The Edge’s shimmering guitar effects give the song its haunted, echoing quality. Many consider it the band’s most beautiful ballad—a hymn to desire, surrender, and paradox.

👉 You can listen to it here.

See the stone set in your eyes
See the thorn twist in your side
I wait for you…

In the dry expanse of the Mojave, the Joshua tree stands as a witness to longing—for water, for grace, for something more. Its twisted form, like the song, speaks of resilience and vulnerability all at once.

2019: The Symbolism of the Joshua Tree in U2’s Album The Joshua Tree

“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swear unto their fathers to give them.”
— Joshua 1:6–9, King James Version

The tension between the ideal of the so-called Promised Land and the complex reality of America is one of the central themes driving U2’s most critically acclaimed album,👉 The Joshua Tree. Musically, the album draws from American and Irish folk traditions, but its spirit lives in the vast space between yearning and disillusionment.

Throughout its tracks, we traverse a deserted, immense, timeless landscape—a place where dreams and despair co-exist, where hope is as sparse as water. The physical desolation of the desert becomes a metaphor for spiritual drought and emotional exile. The Joshua tree, rising solitary and defiant in such terrain, becomes a central image of survival. Its twisted limbs seem to reach out like hands in prayer—an emblem of hope in hostile ground.

No other U2 album carries such spiritual and political depth. The desert isn’t just setting; it’s leitmotif. It represents both the harshness of the American dream and the inner wilderness many wander through.

After a 1985 trip to Ethiopia, Bono reflected on witnessing extreme poverty met with extraordinary resilience: “They may have a physical desert, but we’ve got other kinds of deserts.” His words reveal the deeper draw to the desert as symbol—a stark and honest mirror for both personal and collective longing.

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For emerges from this landscape as a spiritual quest—a song of searching, not for perfection, but for something sacred in the midst of absence.

2017: Why Is the Joshua Tree Called the Joshua Tree?

The Joshua tree’s upraised branches caught the attention of Mormon pioneers as they crossed the Mojave Desert in the 1850s. The tree reminded them of the biblical figure Joshua, who led the Israelites into the Promised Land—his arms raised skyward in prayer. Inspired by this image, they gave the tree its name. Unlike the more forgettable alternatives—Cabbage Tree, Spanish Bayonet Tree, Yucca Palm, Yucca Tree, or Tree Lily—“Joshua Tree” had staying power. It evoked faith, vision, and perseverance.

How Do Joshua Trees Contribute to the Mojave Desert Ecosystem?

Joshua trees are vital to the Mojave Desert’s fragile ecosystem. They provide shelter and nourishment for a variety of species. Dozens of birds nest in their branches. The elusive desert night lizard finds refuge in their fallen limbs. And many animals—from insects to mammals—feed on their flowers, seeds, and fruit. In this arid, sun‑scorched landscape, the Joshua tree serves as both sanctuary and sustenance.

What Geologic Forces Created the Iconic Boulders in Joshua Tree National Park?

The park’s surreal landscape is dotted with massive rock piles—formations that often appear sculpted by human hands. But they are the product of deep geologic time. For over a billion years, molten rock cooled and cracked beneath the earth’s surface. Earthquakes, wind, and water erosion did the rest—exposing, splitting, and smoothing these monzogranite giants into the boulders we see today. The result is a dreamlike terrain where geology feels like art. Learn more about these dramatic geologic processes in this authoritative 👉 National Park Service overview.

👉 For a raw encounter with Death Valley’s extreme beauty and nearby desert hot springs, read my Death Valley reflection.