Saguaros

Saguaro Forest

Saguaro in bloom

Saguaro Blossom - Arizona State Flower

SAGUARO (Carnegiea gigantea)

Growth:

Approximate developmental history of a saguaro (varies according to moisture availability)

Age Height Developmental stage:

10 years 4 cm (1.5 in.)

14 years 15 cm (6 in.)

35-40 years 180 cm (71 in.), at 8 feet starts flowering

50 years 4 metres (157 in. or 13 ft.)

65 years 6 metres (236 in. or 19.7 ft.) develops first arm

85 years onwards 7-8 metres (23 - 26 ft.) mature, branched adult

The saguaro is the largest cactus in the USA, commonly reaching a height of 12 metres (40 feet) and an age of up to 200 years. It is one of the most characteristic plants of the Sonoran Desert, but actually has a quite limited geographical range, centered on southern Arizona and extending into western Sonora (Mexico).

Within its range it can be extremely abundant, forming thick forests among desert trees and shrubs. It is particularly common in the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran Desert, around Tucson and Phoenix. One of the principal reasons for this is that the saguaro requires a reasonable amount of water - the annual precipitation averages 28 cm(11 in.) in this region - and is fairly tolerant of frosts. Further south it is replaced by other large columnar cacti, such as the cardon, which are intolerant of frost. Further north it is limited by severe frosts. And in the regions of lower elevation to the west it is limited by drought.

Saguaro National Park: http://www.nps.gov/sagu/

 

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