SAGUARO CACTUS

By Tyler Stumpf

Probably the most famous of native Arizona flora are the cacti. There are some fifteen genera of cacti, some seventy-two species and about two thousand varieties. Among the more famous cacti is the Giant Saguaro, often reffered to as the "Grand symbol of the Sonaran desert." The word saguaro, pronounced, "sah-wah'-ro," came from a Spanish mispronunciation of an ancient Papago word refferring only to this species of plant. Its scientific name, Carnegiea gigantea, was given as a tribute to philanthropist and patron of science, Andrew Caregie.

The saguaro is a very slow-growing plant. At the age of nearly ten years it may only be four inches high. After three decades it will have reached only between three and six feet in height. At approxiamately age seventy-five, the saguaro will be over twelve feet tall and will begin to put out its arms. When it is fully mature, well over a century old, it may be over fifty feet tall and have as many as fifty arms. As big as this cactus grows, it is not the largest in the world. The saguaro is one of about fifty kinds of tree-form cactus found in the world's deserts, with some Mexican and South American plants being taller and heavier.

The saguaro has a remarkable ability to gather and store water, a trait chaacteristic of most cacti. In fact, a mature saguaro can hold up to 500 gallons of water, often increasing its weight up to 2,000 pounds.

In the desert shelter is hard to find, so many species of birds take refuge in saguaros. Gila Woodpeckers, Gilded Flickers, Screech Owls, Shiny-winged Purple Martins, House Finches, Red-tailed Hawks and Harris Hawks all may take cover n the comfort of a saguaro. This inhabitation of the birds does the saguaro no harm. In return for the saguaros hospitality, the birds seem to know that during the rainy season even a small scratch might cause a huge saguaro to "bleed" to death. Thus the birds cut their holes and dig their caves only in dry weather.

As you can see, the saguaro cactus is an amazing plant that is cherished by many southern states, which is probably why they are protected by law against any harm from humans.

REFERENCES & RELATED SITES:

Tuscon Desert Home Page-http://emol.org/emol/tour/tucsaguaro.html

Justin Spiegel's Desert Cactus Page- http://www.desertcacti.com/

Mesa Cactus Sales- http://members.aol.com/_ht_a/CactusPats/saguaro.html

Desert USA- http://www.desertusa.com

Cactus King Nursery Succulent, Euphorbia, and Desert Plant Page- http://www.cactusking.com