holly | G Dan Mitchell Photography

Desert holly grows in desolate badlands of Death Valley National Park

In a world of rugged and tenacious desert life, the desert holly plant seems to stand almost alone, at least among plants that are large enough to make an easily visible contribution to the landscape. In almost any forlorn and sub-blasted spot where nothing else seems to grow you will find desert holly. And it won’t just be there, but will often give the appearance of being a healthy plant, as if there should be nothing unusual about growing out of nothing more than bare rock. There are often at least some green leaves, and when the light passes through the plant from behind, it can produce a warm glow.

I had seen this group of plants several times before when I visited this particular area where very little grows on a badlands terrain of colorful and varied soils. Nearby there are places where the dry and hard soil is white or red or even green and bluish, but this band of nearly black stands out. It is in a spot that where it is a bit awkward to stop and get out camera gear, so I have just passed by before—but this time I finally found a spot to pull over and walk back to this small dark gully with the desert holly plants arranged along its bottom.

G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist whose subjects include the Pacific coast, redwood forests, central California oak/grasslands, the Sierra Nevada, California deserts, urban landscapes, night photography, and more.

Text, photographs, and other media are © Copyright G Dan Mitchell (or others when indicated) and are not in the public domain and may not be used on websites, blogs, or in other media without advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Desert Holly plants grow on a black formation, Death Valley National Park

This area of Death Valley National Park, not far from the popular Zabriskie Point overlook, shares some of the same geology with that often crowded location. However, you don’t have to go too far from that parking lot to find locations where you can be almost alone, especially early in the morning. This area is one such spot—easily accessible but not marked in any sort of obvious way. Yet it is a great place to spend hours looking at geological forms, sparse plants, and spare effects of light and color.

The desert holly plants grow in some of the most arid locations, and often appear to be the only plants that are able to survive where it grows. You might find a plant or two in a rocky wash, growing out of a crack in a rock wall, or on this dark (volcanic?) material. One can only imagine how hot this black earth must get in the heat of the Death Valley summer! Besides often being the only visible living thing in some very stark areas, desert holly also can change its appearance depending upon how the leaves are doing and on where the light comes from. Light from behind the plant can make it take on an almost golden glow.

G Dan Mitchell Photography

Tag Archives: holly

Desert Holly, Badlands

Desert Holly, Black Formation

Photographer and visual opportunist. Daily photos since 2005, plus articles, reviews, news, and ideas.