Jojoba is commercially cultivated on plantations in arid or semi arid desert regions around the world. Mature jojoba plants (simmondsia chinensis ) are woody perennial bushes native to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, northern Mexico and arid California. Jojoba is now grown commercially in Australia, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Egypt and Israel, as well as in Mexico and the United States of America. Plantations in South Africa and India are also reported.

The jojoba plant does not shed its leaves with the change in seasons. The female plants are pollinated by the wind, which carries the pollen from the male plant. Then the pollinated female flowers harden into a capsule that contains seed.

As the seed grows, the capsule wall becomes thinner and dry. Then the capsule cracks open and the mature seed falls to the ground. The seeds are then collected by hand or harvester.

Jojoba seeds produce a liquid (or "oil" as it is often referred to), similar to the moisturizer (sebum) produced by our own skin. Jojoba is used in many skin care products.

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