Post
by Kristy McCaffrey
The
mighty saguaro cactus is a native of the Sonoran Desert, located in southern
Arizona and California as well as much of Mexico.
Covered with protective spines, saguaro bloom
with white flowers in the spring and produce red fruit in the summer. Both
hydration and temperature affect the growth of a saguaro, and water is obtained
and stored in the trunk predominantly during the summer monsoon season. Saguaro
can grow to be over 60 feet tall and can weigh, when fully hydrated, between
3200 to 4800 pounds. They have a shallow root system, with only one deep root
(the tap root) that goes down about 2 feet.
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| Odd arm formations are usually a result of trauma to the cactus, likely from cold weather. |
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| After a severe winter storm, we lost this cactus in front of our home. We were fortunate that it fell away from the house. |
The Tohono O’odham—Native Americans located in
the Sonoran region and previously known as the Papago—have long used the
saguaro for food and shelter. “Saguaro boots,” holes bored out by birds to use as
nests, can be retrieved from fallen saguaro and used to hold water, a type of
ancient canteen.
Harming or moving a saguaro is illegal in the state of Arizona, unless a special
permit is obtained. One exception: if a private home sits on less than 10 acres
and a cactus falls during a storm (which has happened to us), then the
homeowner is permitted to remove the remains.
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| Saguaro are extremely heavy. My husband had to use a chain saw to cut the cactus into sections, then a tractor to drag the pieces into the desert. |
Saguaros
have a long life span, some living well over 200 years.
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| This saguaro is about 40 years old. |
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| This cactus has a hand. |
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| Sometimes a cactus loses its center trunk from a lightning strike, or because it was cut to make way for an electrical line. They're very resilient and continue to thrive. |
