Saguaro Bloom

by Robert Bales

Title

Saguaro Bloom

Artist

Robert Bales

Medium

Photograph - Photo

Description

My wife notice this saguaro had a broken arm and these are about 1 foot off the ground. Most of the time the blooms are on the top which would be over 10 feet tall.

The saguaro (/səˈw��roʊ/) (Carnegiea gigantea) is an arborescent (tree-like) cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea, which can grow to be over 20 m (70 ft) tall. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican State of Sonora, and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas of California. The saguaro blossom is the state wildflower of Arizona. Its scientific name is given in honor of Andrew Carnegie.
Saguaros have a relatively long lifespan. They may grow their first side arm any time from 75�100 years of age, but some never grow one at all. 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 growing in Maricopa County, Arizona, and is 13.8 m (45.3 ft) tall with a girth of 3.1 m (10 ft). These cacti can grow from 40 to 60 ft tall. They grow slowly from seed, and never from cuttings. Whenever it rains, saguaros soak up the rainwater. The cactus will visibly expand, holding in the water. It conserves the water and slowly consumes it.
Saguaros are the largest cactus species in the U.S.�they can grow more than 40 feet tall. (The largest species in North America is the giant cardon cactus, which grows in parts of Mexico.)

Interesting facts:
A typical saguaro can live between 100-200 years
A fully-grown saguaro can weighmore than a ton.
Saguaros have an intricate root system. A single �taproot� grows straight down about five feet to access water that�s stored deep underground. A saguaro�s main roots, however, extend like a maze about three inches under the surface to easily collect rainwater.
Despite the spines, which prevent hungry animals from feasting on their tissues, saguaros serve as �hotels� for birds such as Gila woodpeckers, which carve out nest holes in the plants. These birds typically wait several months before moving in to give the pulp of the cactus time to dry and create a solid casing around the cavity. "Sagauros are characterized as foundation species because they support so many other species in the ecosystem," says Hultine.
The saguaro�s bloom is Arizona's state flower.

Uploaded

April 2nd, 2015

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