Simmodsia chinensis
Location: Arizona, southern California and northwestern Mexico
Common Name: goat nut, deer nut, pignut
Elevation: 200 feet to nearly 4,000 feet above sea level
Description: Sonoran Deserts second most valuable native plant. Jojoba averages 2 to 5 feet tall and wide, sometimes to 10 feet. Leathery, grayish-green leaves and usually an evergreen, the jojoba will shed its leaves when severe drought occurs. The ratio of male to female plants is 4 to 1. Vertical orientation of the leaves is an adaptation to help this plant survive the extreme heat. Beans of the Jojoba plant contain more the “oil” of the Jojoba. Jojoba oil is colorless and odorless which makes it beneficial for cosmetic products.
