Sonoran Desert

Tucson Estates, Arizona

March 2015

The back yard of Tucson Estates.

Click for larger view of images.

Cholla cactus in forground with several smaller saguaro cactus in the middle ground.

You might also notice the spindly ocotillo cactus next to the saguaro.

By zooming in you'll be able to see the saguaro and ocotillo much better.

The picture above is a Palo Verde "nurse tree" with several young Saguaro growing in its shade.

The saguaro cactus grows as a column at a very slow rate, with all growth occurring at the tip, or top of the cactus.

It can take 10 years for a saguaro cactus to reach 1 inch in height.

By 70 years of age, a saguaro cactus can reach 6 and a half feet tall, and will finally start to produce their first flowers.

By 95-100 years in age, a saguaro cactus can reach a height of 15-16 feet, and could start to produce its first arm.

By 200 years old, the saguaro cactus has reached its full height, reaching upwards of 45 feet tall.

Some saguaros have been seen with dozens of arms, while other cactus never produce a single one.

Why this happens remains one of the desert's mysteries.

Source: http://www.nps.gov/orpi/learn/nature/saguaro-cactus.htm

Mike and Betsy provide scale to estimate the height of the saguaro. These saguaro could easily be over 100 years old based on the information from the National Park Service website that is listed above.

In the foreground is Desert Globe Mallow (Sphaeralcea ambigua).

Prickly pear and saguaro cactus are in the background.

The yellow flowering plant is Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) and in the background is cholla and saguaro cactus.

Thanks to Mike Breiding for identifying the plants on this page.