Gentle Giants

I’ve always been fascinated by trees so I wasn’t sure if I could love a part of the country with very few of them. I was wrong. The Saguaro cactus is a tree-like cactus species and is a delight. One of the only places in America you will find this large cactus with character (there are a few in CA) is in the Sonoran desert of Arizona. They grow very slowly (a ten year old plant may only be two inches tall) and all start out as a single column. They don’t produce their first arm, or branch, until they are 50 years old. Then they can grow as many as 25 arms. That’s where all the character comes from. They are generally considered an adult at 125 years and can live to be 200. After such a slow start in life they can eventually grow to a height of 60 feet. Saguaros have pleats that allow them to expand when they drink water (like an accordion) and contract as they use up their water supply.

I’m not the only one who feels drawn to these giants. A local volunteer in the park was teaching us about the geology of the area but kept pointing out her favorite Saguaros. At one point she even got a bit emotional as she talked about one of the larger ones being struck by lightning. I’m afraid if I lived here I might find myself giving them names.