A Joshua tree lit against the night

A tall Joshua tree stands out against a deep blue night sky, lit low so every spiky cluster at the ends of its branches shows. Behind it, granite boulders and a second, smaller Joshua tree sit in shadow under a scatter of stars.

Joshua trees are the tree-sized yucca, Yucca brevifolia, that gives the town and the national park their name. They grow only in the Mojave Desert, which is why a skyline like this one is instantly recognisable as Joshua Tree.