Some very shapely Joshua Trees.

The Joshua tree, Yucca brevifolia, living or dead, has a large role in the Mojave ecology. Numerous creatures shelter in the leaves and thatch, and small rodents burrow beneath the roots. Deer and bighorn sheep browse on the leaves. Termites feast on the dead wood, which helps release nutrients into the soil, for use by new plants.

Joshua trees can reproduce in two ways. Seeds produce tender seedlings that are sought out by animals. Most surviving seedlings are those lucky enough to germinate under prickly "nurse" plants. Joshua trees can also produce tough offshoots from underground runners, as this tree has done.