Some cactus can be eaten and some grow fruit.Cactus flowers can be yellow, red, pink, white, orange, or blue.The outside of a cactus is a waxy skin texture that helps it hold in water.They are very good at conserving water, especially during long dry periods.Some cacti are edible especially from the 200+ Opuntia species.Some spikes can be even poisonous to humans.
The spikes on the outside can be very sharp. You will find lots of cacti in Arizona and California. The tallest saguaro cactus ever was over 78 feet tall. The saguaro cactus is the largest cactus in the United States. A cactus plant can be very small or very big. Many cacti live in dry places, such as deserts. Cactus lifespan is somewhere in the ranges from 10 to 200 years. Cactus are xerophytes, specializing in hot, dry climates. Native Americans used these as water containers long before the canteen was available.Ĭompare with the Desert Bloodwood Tree of the Australian Desert. The holes that birds nested in or "saguaro boots" can be found among the dead saguaros. There is one deep root, or tap root that extends down into the ground more than 2 feet.Īfter the saguaro dies its woody ribs can be used to build roofs, fences, and parts of furniture. Most of the saguaros roots are only 4-6 inches deep and radiate out as far from the plant as it is tall. The saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States. When rain is plentiful and the saguaro is fully hydrated it can weigh between 3200-4800 pounds. Saguaro can grow to be between 40-60 feet tall (12-18m). A 10 year old plant might only be 1.5 inches tall. With the right growing conditions, it is estimated that saguaros can live to be as much as 150-200 years old. Arizona has strict regulations about the harvesting, collection or destruction of this species. The saguaro is not currently listed as threatened or endangered. A few stray plants can also be found in southeast California. At the northern portion of their range they are more plentiful on the warmer south facing slopes. You find this cactus in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico. Although the the Sonoran Desert experiences both winter and summer rains, it is thought that the Saguaro obtains most of its moisture during the summer rainy season. If the elevation is too high, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. The most important factors for growth are water and temperature. 
Saguaros are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert. Saguaros are covered with protective spines, white flowers in the late spring, and red fruit in summer. These arms generally bend upward and can number over 25. These plants are large, tree-like columnar cacti that develop branches (or arms) as they age, although some never grow arms. The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert.
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