Letter From The Desert: the Immortal Cholla

Above: Burton Frasher tourist postcard, 1946

I've spent the last decade or so marveling at the very long spans of time desert plants can stay alive. Joshua trees, often considered incredibly long-lived, generally max out at less than 300 years, but the unprepossessing blackbrush at the Joshua tree's base can reach more than twice that, and the ephedras,…