Although explorer John C. Fremont famously derided Joshua trees as “the most repulsive tree in the vegetable kingdom,” these grizzled looking plants that reach up to 40 feet-tall can be as beautiful as they are eccentric. You’ll see them growing on mostly level, well-drained areas throughout the park at elevations from 2,000 to 6,000 feet (the Black Rock Canyon area and Queens’s Valley have some of the best stands). Given the right conditions, Joshua trees put out clusters of gorgeous white-green flowers from March into April. Mormon pioneers gave the plant its biblically-inspired name because the trees’ limbs reminded the settlers of Joshua’s upraised arms as he beckoned his followers. To convey the mystical, searching themes of the songs, U2 named its most famous album The Joshua Tree, and although fans come to the park to find the location shown on the cover, the photograph was actually taken elsewhere in the California desert.