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

Illustration of ocotillo

Examples of ocotillo in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Starting amid towering saguaros and spindly ocotillos, and ending in a thriving aspen forest, these 27 miles connect scenic overlooks, a number of federally run public lands, a serene little mountain town, and much more. — Cu Fleshman, Travel + Leisure, 10 May 2026

Within minutes of leaving town, the pavement twists downward through tight turns and steep grades as the mountain air begins to warm, the vegetation giving way to chaparral and scattered juniper, then to the stark silhouettes of ocotillo and Mojave yucca. — Josh Jackson, Los Angeles Times, 7 Apr. 2026

Chambers is nurturing a small ocotillo. — Caron Golden, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Feb. 2026

This includes all of the cacti, exotic plants like ocotillo, most of the trees such as ironwood, palo verde, mesquite and many smaller plants. — Tiffany Acosta, AZCentral.com, 19 Sep. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Mexican Spanish, diminutive of ocote, a resinous pine tree (Pinus montezuma), from Nahuatl ocotl pine, torch made of pine

First Known Use

1856, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for ocotillo

• armadillo
• billow
• pillow
• caudillo