Jojoba is an evergreen shrub with tough, rounded leaves. It grows up to 5 feet in height and has small flowers of 2 types – the “female” type are pale green and grow individually while the “male” are yellow-green and sprout in bunches. It survives well in the desert since abundant sunlight and dry soil are what allow it to thrive.

Small nut-like berries evolve from the flowers of the jojoba and are useful for both the fact that they are edible and that they contain an essential oil. This oil is actually a highly stable liquid wax and serves as an alternative to sperm whale oil. Because this species of whale has become endangered, jojoba is now being adapted to and commercially cultivated in many countries. The seeds of this plant are useful as well and serve many medicinal uses.