The saguaros, Carnegiea giganteus, are magnificent on the property where I board my horses. The owner has a cactus garden, a vibrant and diverse collection of desert flora, featuring many multi-armed saguaros. I love riding by and examining them. My horse lets me get so much higher for those closer looks.
It’s truly fascinating how all these arms can fit together on the trunk of a saguaro, a unique characteristic that sets them apart from other cacti!
The Remarkable Growth of the Saguaros
One remarkable aspect of these saguaros is their incredible growth. They all have an astonishing abundance of arms, a feat that usually takes at least 50 years to achieve. In areas with restricted rainfall, they might have to wait until they are 100 years old! Once they start arming themselves, they continue until they die, which could be another 100 years. The density of these arms makes me wonder how old these cacti are. Or are they excessively flourishing because of sufficient water supplementation?
What is the purpose of growing arms? They store extra water, which is very important in the desert.
I’ve noticed that the saguaros at the stables are producing new arms. Apparently, during the monsoon rains, which have been particularly good this year, new arms can pop out of the sides of the cacti instead of merely at the end of buds.
These little arms are adorable, little round pin cushions on the sides of the saguaro. They come in different sizes since some got going before the others! I’ll be watching them as they grow. I wonder how long it will take them to fill out. Will they remain round or elongate like some of the others? Will more crowd together or be better spaced? Only time will tell. I hope I have enough years left. After all, their lifespan is much longer than a human’s. However, I will enjoy and treasure these botanical wonders for as long as possible. I hope to update you in a future blog.
And will these cactus be able to fit more arms on its trunk?
An unfortunate unarmed saguaro is called a spear.
If you’re interested in learning more about the fascinating Sonoran Desert and its remarkable flora, be sure to check out my books for an in-depth exploration!
