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Description
Cereus giganteus
Arizona State Flower

The saguaro is endemic to the Sonoran Desert. Saguaro buds begin to appear in mid-April around the top of the main trunk and arms. The buds open into large white flowers from late April through early June. Each flower opens in the middle of the night, and closes the following day. Saguaro flowers are pollinated by nectar feeding bats, birds and insects. After a saguaro flower has been pollinated, it begins its transformation into a fruit. Complete ripening takes approximately 30 to 40 days. Dried flowers often remain attached to the ripening fruit. Near the end of the ripening period, the bright red fruits begin to split open. Inside are approximately 2000 tiny black seeds. Both the flesh and seeds are consumed by a variety of desert animals. If a saguaro seed falls in the right place, and at the right time, it may germinate and begin its long life. Only a few of the seeds a saguaro produces in its lifetime will germinate and grow to maturity. As many as 90% will germinate in a nursery setting. For the best chance of survival, saguaro seedlings need the protective cover of a "nurse plant". The shade and additional moisture under the nurse plant is crucial to the survival of young saguaros. The saguaro grows extremely slowly at the beginning of its life. In fact, it may take 5 years for the young plant to achieve a height of 5 inches! At its fastest, however, the saguaro may grow 5 feet per year. In Saguaro National Park, saguaros begin to grow arms at about 65 to 75 years of age. Some may develop as many as 50 or more of these appendages. Since the flowers grow at the ends of the main trunk and arms, additional arms allow the saguaro to produce extra flowers. A mature saguaro is considered to be at least 125 years of age. Average life spans are usually 150 to 175 years of age, but may be longer in some individuals. The saguaro likes the rocky, gravelly soil of the desert. It also requires warm conditions and will die if the temperature does not rise above freezing for any extended period, for example beyond 24 hours. As a result, few can be found above 5000 feet here or elsewhere. The saguaro is host to a wide variety of desert life. Gila woodpeckers or gilded flickers bore holes into the cactus, as can be seen below. Because of the high moisture content of the inside of the cactus these holes are well insulated and make an excellent home for several types of animals. In fact, the temperature and microenvironment within a hole is equivalent to what would be found climbing 200 feet up into the mountains. The cactus is supported by 12-30 internal woody ribs. These can only be seen when the cactus has died and the plant's flesh has decomposed. It is usually finally felled by lightning, windfall, or extended freezing temperatures. The saguaro survives through its capacity to store massive amounts of waters. This water is gathered by a shallow, broad root system (ranging up to 50 feet in all directions but never sinking more than three feet into the ground). The saguaro cactus can soak up to 200 gallons of water when it is available and it can make this supply last for a year. The water is stored in the cactus's soft internal tissues and it expands and contracts like an accordion as its supply of stored water supply varies. Its waxy coating also helps keep retard moisture loss through evaporation. It can be up to 50 feet high (they average about 35 feet at maturity) with branches beginning some 12 feet above the ground, has a diameter of about 30", may weigh over 5 tons (as much as 90% of which is water), and it may live for 200 years, although few live more than 150.

Cropped, ©, and Framed.

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Description
Cereus giganteus
Arizona State Flower

The saguaro is endemic to the Sonoran Desert. Saguaro buds begin to appear in mid-April around the top of the main trunk and arms. The buds open into large white flowers from late April through early June. Each flower opens in the middle of the night, and closes the following day. Saguaro flowers are pollinated by nectar feeding bats, birds and insects. After a saguaro flower has been pollinated, it begins its transformation into a fruit. Complete ripening takes approximately 30 to 40 days. Dried flowers often remain attached to the ripening fruit. Near the end of the ripening period, the bright red fruits begin to split open. Inside are approximately 2000 tiny black seeds. Both the flesh and seeds are consumed by a variety of desert animals. If a saguaro seed falls in the right place, and at the right time, it may germinate and begin its long life. Only a few of the seeds a saguaro produces in its lifetime will germinate and grow to maturity. As many as 90% will germinate in a nursery setting. For the best chance of survival, saguaro seedlings need the protective cover of a "nurse plant". The shade and additional moisture under the nurse plant is crucial to the survival of young saguaros. The saguaro grows extremely slowly at the beginning of its life. In fact, it may take 5 years for the young plant to achieve a height of 5 inches! At its fastest, however, the saguaro may grow 5 feet per year. In Saguaro National Park, saguaros begin to grow arms at about 65 to 75 years of age. Some may develop as many as 50 or more of these appendages. Since the flowers grow at the ends of the main trunk and arms, additional arms allow the saguaro to produce extra flowers. A mature saguaro is considered to be at least 125 years of age. Average life spans are usually 150 to 175 years of age, but may be longer in some individuals. The saguaro likes the rocky, gravelly soil of the desert. It also requires warm conditions and will die if the temperature does not rise above freezing for any extended period, for example beyond 24 hours. As a result, few can be found above 5000 feet here or elsewhere. The saguaro is host to a wide variety of desert life. Gila woodpeckers or gilded flickers bore holes into the cactus, as can be seen below. Because of the high moisture content of the inside of the cactus these holes are well insulated and make an excellent home for several types of animals. In fact, the temperature and microenvironment within a hole is equivalent to what would be found climbing 200 feet up into the mountains. The cactus is supported by 12-30 internal woody ribs. These can only be seen when the cactus has died and the plant's flesh has decomposed. It is usually finally felled by lightning, windfall, or extended freezing temperatures. The saguaro survives through its capacity to store massive amounts of waters. This water is gathered by a shallow, broad root system (ranging up to 50 feet in all directions but never sinking more than three feet into the ground). The saguaro cactus can soak up to 200 gallons of water when it is available and it can make this supply last for a year. The water is stored in the cactus's soft internal tissues and it expands and contracts like an accordion as its supply of stored water supply varies. Its waxy coating also helps keep retard moisture loss through evaporation. It can be up to 50 feet high (they average about 35 feet at maturity) with branches beginning some 12 feet above the ground, has a diameter of about 30", may weigh over 5 tons (as much as 90% of which is water), and it may live for 200 years, although few live more than 150.

Cropped, ©, and Framed.

Full View Please For Details!