Yesterday we went to Saguaro National Park. Since I was having a difficult time pronouncing Saguaro I was calling it "that big tall thing." I have now mastered the pronunciation - suh-wah-roe. A Saguaro is a large cactus, often with arms.
A Few Facts About The Saguaro
The Saguaro often begins life in the shelter of a "nurse" tree or shrub which can provide a shaded, moister habitat for the germination of life.
The Saguaro grows very slowly -- perhaps an inch a year -- but to a great height, 15 to 50 feet.
The largest plants, with more than 5 arms, are estimated to be 200 years old. An average old Saguaro would have 5 arms and be about 30 feet tall.
A saguaro's arms usually begin to grow only after it is about 15 feet tall and around 75 years old. The outside skin of the saguaro is smooth. Inside the full grown saguaro there are 2 inch spines that absorb water. The saguaro then expands like an accordion. It can hold about a ton of water in those spines.
The root system is very shallow. There is a tap root that is only about 3 feet long, and the rest of the roots are only about a foot long. You may wonder how these roots support such great weight. The roots anchor the saguaro by wrapping themselves around rocks.
The saguaro flower is about a 3 inch wide cluster of creamy white petals around a dense group of yellow stamens on about a 4 inch long stem. The saguaro has more stamens per flower than any other cactus flower.
Pictures have been posted, Click Here!
Location: Tucson
1 comments:
Your photo of the left-armed Saguaro in the fore-front with the Saguaro-lined hilltop in the background reminded me of recent tributes to our Country's veterans and the Arlington National Cemetery. Did you see this at the time you took the photo? Great tribute!
~~Deanie~~
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