Illustration of ocotillo
ocotillo
noun
oco·ti·llo
ˌō-kə-ˈtē-(ˌ)yō 
plural ocotillos
: a thorny scarlet-flowered candlewood (Fouquieria splendens of the family Fouquieriaceae) of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico
Examples of ocotillo in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Those big fat raindrops kiss the ocotillo, dance among saguaro spines and water our vast herd of lizards.
—
Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2023
The mountainous desert region is one highlighted by cactus flowers like the Strawberry Pitaya, the spiny ocotillo shrub, catclaw, desert marigolds, and the area’s namesake bluebonnets.
—J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 26 Apr. 2022
An easy half-mile walk on the wide, sandy Latigo Trail enters the preserve’s far west edge, passing under powerlines that curiously mimic look the long, slender stalks of native ocotillo cactus.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2022
Those findings align with the work of Jim Cornett, a consulting ecologist who has been studying ocotillo in the park since 2007.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2022
According to Texas Highways, visitors may also want to head approximately five hours north to pay a visit to Franklin Mountains State Park, home to the ocotillo, yucca, Southwestern barrel cactus, and Chihuahuan fishhook cactus.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2022
It’s not uncommon for students at the Bisbee Unified School District to live in Mexico and travel here daily through ports in sprawling valleys dotted by ocotillo.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2020
There's also the hip year-old hotel Willow House, a cluster of minimalist cubes scattered in a field of ocotillo plants.
—Christopher Bagley, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2020
Many of us are finding comfort now in remembering the enveloping smell of warm pine on a sunny day or the sight of ocotillo in bloom after a desert rain.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2020
Roger Naylor, The Arizona Republic, 16 Mar. 2023
The mountainous desert region is one highlighted by cactus flowers like the Strawberry Pitaya, the spiny ocotillo shrub, catclaw, desert marigolds, and the area’s namesake bluebonnets.
—J.d. Simkins, Sunset Magazine, 26 Apr. 2022
An easy half-mile walk on the wide, sandy Latigo Trail enters the preserve’s far west edge, passing under powerlines that curiously mimic look the long, slender stalks of native ocotillo cactus.
—Mare Czinar, The Arizona Republic, 25 Mar. 2022
Those findings align with the work of Jim Cornett, a consulting ecologist who has been studying ocotillo in the park since 2007.
—San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Mar. 2022
According to Texas Highways, visitors may also want to head approximately five hours north to pay a visit to Franklin Mountains State Park, home to the ocotillo, yucca, Southwestern barrel cactus, and Chihuahuan fishhook cactus.
—Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 5 Mar. 2022
It’s not uncommon for students at the Bisbee Unified School District to live in Mexico and travel here daily through ports in sprawling valleys dotted by ocotillo.
—Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2020
There's also the hip year-old hotel Willow House, a cluster of minimalist cubes scattered in a field of ocotillo plants.
—Christopher Bagley, Condé Nast Traveler, 18 May 2020
Many of us are finding comfort now in remembering the enveloping smell of warm pine on a sunny day or the sight of ocotillo in bloom after a desert rain.
—Lorraine Berry, Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'ocotillo.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near ocotillo
Cite this Entry
“Ocotillo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ocotillo. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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