These photos are of an area of desert on the western edge of Tucson in Pima County. I just love it here.
About Saguaros....from Wikipedia
Saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea) have a relatively long life span. They take up to 75 years to develop a side arm. A saguaro without arms is called a spear.
The arms are grown to increase the plant's reproductive capacity (more apices lead to more flowers and fruit). The growth rate of saguaros is strongly dependent on precipitation; saguaros in drier western Arizona grow only half as fast as those in and around Tucson, Arizona.
Some specimens may live for more than 150 years; the largest known saguaro is the Champion Saguaro. It grows in Maricopa County, Arizona, and is 13.8 meters (45.3 ft) tall with a girth of 3.1 meters (10 ft). These cacti can grow anywhere from 15 to 50 feet. They grow slowly from seed, and not at all from cuttings. Whenever it rains, saguaros soak up the rainwater. The cactus will visibly expand, holding in the rainwater. It conserves the water and slowly consumes it.
Harming a saguaro in any manner, including cactus plugging, is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected
All info from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro
About Saguaros....from Wikipedia
Saguaros (Carnegiea gigantea) have a relatively long life span. They take up to 75 years to develop a side arm. A saguaro without arms is called a spear.
The arms are grown to increase the plant's reproductive capacity (more apices lead to more flowers and fruit). The growth rate of saguaros is strongly dependent on precipitation; saguaros in drier western Arizona grow only half as fast as those in and around Tucson, Arizona.
Some specimens may live for more than 150 years; the largest known saguaro is the Champion Saguaro. It grows in Maricopa County, Arizona, and is 13.8 meters (45.3 ft) tall with a girth of 3.1 meters (10 ft). These cacti can grow anywhere from 15 to 50 feet. They grow slowly from seed, and not at all from cuttings. Whenever it rains, saguaros soak up the rainwater. The cactus will visibly expand, holding in the rainwater. It conserves the water and slowly consumes it.
Harming a saguaro in any manner, including cactus plugging, is illegal by state law in Arizona, and when houses or highways are built, special permits must be obtained to move or destroy any saguaro affected
All info from Wikipedia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro
The desert can be starkly beautiful in its own way. We'll be visiting there a lot as my son and family moved to the Scottdale are for teaching jobs last summer. A wonderful desert arboreteum lies a few miles north of there. Still at heart I'm a green trees and blue skies and water kind of Upper Midwest kind of guy.... :)
ReplyDeleteI agree about the 'starkly beautiful'; and being from the prairies I rather appreciate that sort of thing. But, certainly the cool, lush green around your part of the world is hard to beat!
DeleteIt's been a while since I've been in cactus country. I'm ready for the heat and a little sun!
ReplyDeleteDani @ ONNO Organic Clothing
Almost 90F yesterday, with a slight breeze, and very, very pleasant. It's so nice to be wearing shorts, short sleeved shirts and sandals instead of bundled up in layers of northern winter wear! Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Dani. I'm now off to check out your Organic Clothing.
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