Saguaros - Symbol of the Desert Southwest is a photograph by Alexandra Till which was uploaded on July 23rd, 2013.
Title
Saguaros - Symbol of the Desert Southwest
Artist
Alexandra Till
Medium
Photograph - Photographs - Prints - Digital Images - Cards - Posters - Photo-calendars - Photo Art
Description
© Christine Till
The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert. This cactus can be found in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico. A few stray plants can also be found in southeast California. Saguaros are the largest cactus species in the U.S. - they can grow more than 40 feet tall.
A typical saguaro can live between 100-200 years. The Saguaro Cactus can absorb a lot of water. Depending on how much water they amass, saguaro cacti can shrink or swell in girth by 20-25 percent over the course of a year. Because the majority of a saguaro cactus is made up of water, an adult plant may weigh 6 tons or more. Saguaro are very slow growing cacti. A 10 year old plant might only be 1.5 inches tall. The Saguaro Cactus has a smooth and waxy skin and is covered with two-inch spines.The stem of the cactus can be 18 to 24 inches in diameter.
Saguaros - which make for expensive lawn adornments - began to disappear from the landscape because have become black market commodities, with poachers raking in a few thousand dollars for their hauls. This has been one of the major traditional threats to saguaro cactus. Arizona has strict regulations about the harvesting, collection or destruction of this species.
Uploaded
July 23rd, 2013
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