Elephant Tree: The Bizarre, Bottle-Trunked Bursera of Deserts

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• Family:	Burseraceae
  Genus:	Bursera (ber-SER-uh) (Info)
  Species:	microphylla (my-kro-FIL-uh) (Info)

Overview

The Elephant Tree (Bursera microphylla) is a **bizarre, sculptural, succulent tree** of the Sonoran and Colorado Deserts (SW U.S., NW Mexico). Its **massive, swollen, water-storing trunk (caudex)**—resembling an elephant's leg or a bottle—rises from the rocky desert floor, topped by a sparse canopy of tiny, drought-deciduous leaves. It is a masterpiece of desert adaptation.

The Caudex: Living Water Tank

The **trunk is enormously thickened, smooth, gray-white to reddish**, often twisted and contorted, **storing water and photosynthates** to survive years of drought. It can reach 3–6 feet in diameter. The bark is **photosynthetic (greenish beneath the outer layer)**. Branches are relatively thin, rising from the caudex.

Foliage, Flowers & Fragrance

Leaves are **tiny (1/4–1/2 inch), pinnately compound with 5–11 leaflets**, **drought-deciduous** (drop in dry periods, re-leaf after rain). **Small, yellowish, star-shaped flowers** appear in spring/summer after rain. The **foliage and sap are intensely aromatic**—a sweet, resinous, balsamic fragrance (frankincense family). The scent is released by rain or crushing.

Culture & Rarity

**USDA Zones 9–10 (marginal).** **Full sun; extremely well-drained, rocky/gravelly soil; minimal water.** **Extremely slow-growing.** Rare in cultivation; a **collector's succulent tree** for desert gardens, rockeries, and containers. Protect from frost. A living sculpture of survival—plant where its caudex can be the star.