Saguaro: Sentinal of the Sonoran Desert
by Catt Foy
copyright 1999
As published on Travel Base.
It's a classic old west image - the silhouette of an armed cactus raising its appendages to the sky. Old movies are indiscriminate - the saguaro appears in movies set in any one of a dozen western states. But the reality is that the saguaro cactus grows only in one place - the Sonoran desert.
Located in central and southern Arizona, and parts of northern Mexico, the Sonoran desert is the home to this celebrated American icon. The Sonoran desert covers 120,000 square miles and includes the deserts of southeastern California. With rare exceptions, however, the Saguaro grows only east of the Colorado River. First discovered by Europeans when the Spanish moved into the area in the 1540s, the earliest observers were often startled by the appearance of these man-like plants. An early newspaper clipping from the 1800's carries a rather serious report about a cactus, most likely a saguaro, which actually grabbed and ate a man. Fortunately, there have been no such reports in over a hundred years.
The saguaro today is the state flower of Arizona, and a protected species, growing at elevations below 4,000 feet. The bright white waxy flowers appear in the spring and early summer, usually following a period of rainfall. The saguaro is pollinated primarily by the Whitewing Dove, but provides shelter to the Gila Woodpecker and the Cactus Wren, who drill holes into the flesh and build nests as protection from the brutal summer heat, which can average around 115 degrees Fahrenheit. The Elf Owl will often live in the abandoned nests that the woodpeckers leave behind.
Capable of absorbing large quantities of water during the desert's brief rainy spells, the saguaro is ribbed and expands like an accordian, enabling it to survive up to a year without any rainfall at all. Saguaros grow about an inch a year and can grow to be as tall as 60 feet. Some specimens are estimated to be over 200 years old and can have up to 50 arms. Full grown adults can weigh up to 12 tons.
The development of arms on the saguaro seems to be subject of great debate. Some sources state that this mighty cactus develops arms between the ages of 25 and 30; others place it as late in the cactus' life as 94 years of age.
Surprisingly, the saguaro has a rather shallow root system, being supported primarily by a single taproot about 3 feet in length. During severe storms or high winds these hefty behemoths can come crashing down with incredible force, as the owners of numerous vehicles and homes in Phoenix and Tucson can attest.
The fruit was harvested and used as a staple by the Tohono O'odham indians, and probably by their ancesters, the Hohokam, famous for their canal-building and irrigation of the Sonoran desert 500 to 1,000 years ago.
The best places to view the Saguaro cactus and the Sonoran Desert's other unique species include the Saguaro National Park, just north of Tucson, Arizona. The park exists in two sections, Saguaro National Park West and Saguaro National Park East. Also near Tucson is the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. The Organ Pipe Cactus, which resembles the Saguaro, is rare in the U.S., although more common in Mexico. The Monument preserves over 330,000 acres of Sonoran desert in pristine condition.
Also near Tucson, is Old Tucson Studios, the location for the filming of many of those old films - which explains the prolific presence of saguaros in classic westerns. For information on Old Tucson Studios, call 520-883-0100.
In Phoenix, one of the best places to learn about the saguaro and other indigenous plant life is the Desert Botanical Gardens, located in Papago Park on the Phoenix-Scottsdale border. For more information call 602-941-1217 or 602-941-1225.
But you don't have to visit a national park to view the stately saguaro. Just take a leisurely drive into the desert surrounding Phoenix or Tucson and you'll be surrounded by Sonoran sentinals on both sides of the highway. From as far north as New River on I-17 to the Mexican border and beyond, the saguaro forest still thrives.
Other websites of interest:
The National Park Service's Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP)'s Organ Pipe National Monument
The National Park Service's Saguaro National Park
Great Outdoor Recreation Pages (GORP)'s Saguaro National Park page & map
Arizona Highways Magazine
- learn more about the great state of Arizona!