Carnegiea gigantea
a.k.a. the saguaro cactus
To pronounce "saguaro" correctly, say "suh-WAHR-oh." It is a large, tree-sized cactus species that grows only in the Sonoran Desert, one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America. Also known as the Gila Desert, the Sonoran Desert sits in the US-Mexican border and covers parts of Arizona, California, and the Mexican states Sonora and Baja California. Here you will find many unique animal and plant species such as the saguaro cactus.
Some of these saguaros grow really tall. I read that it takes about 75 years before it even grows an arm! They have a very long life span and sometimes can live for more than 150 years.
I found a great resource for answering common questions such as where and how do they grow or why are they pleated. Simply click on this link to learn more: http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/The%20Saguaro%20Cactus.pdf
I've taken road trips from Phoenix to Las Vegas many times but never really thought about the saguaro much until my recent trip. It just occured to me that I don't see this type of cactus in the Las Vegas desert. Naturally, I began to look it up to satisfy my curiosity.
To pronounce "saguaro" correctly, say "suh-WAHR-oh." It is a large, tree-sized cactus species that grows only in the Sonoran Desert, one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America. Also known as the Gila Desert, the Sonoran Desert sits in the US-Mexican border and covers parts of Arizona, California, and the Mexican states Sonora and Baja California. Here you will find many unique animal and plant species such as the saguaro cactus.
Some of these saguaros grow really tall. I read that it takes about 75 years before it even grows an arm! They have a very long life span and sometimes can live for more than 150 years.
I found a great resource for answering common questions such as where and how do they grow or why are they pleated. Simply click on this link to learn more: http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/The%20Saguaro%20Cactus.pdf
