by Terry Lidral
The Saguaro cactus is known as the guardian of the Sonoran Desert, a life giver to all who live there. Its most precious resource is the water that it stores to endure the scorching desert climate.
Slow growing, this cactus can take up to 125 years to reach adulthood. And its lifespan can be as long as 200 years. The weight of a fully grown saguaro has been said to reach as much as 6 tons, with the average estimate being between 3200 and 4800 pounds.
This is the largest cactus in the United States and only grows in the rocky desert soil of the far Southwestern states. The saguaro is limited to a narrow range of temperature and elevation due to its sensitivity to frost and cold. The saguaro can live from sea level to an elevation of 4,000 feet. But as the elevation rises, the saguaro will limit itself to the warmer, south facing edges. In these spots, frost is less likely, or less likely to last for an extended length of time.
The saguaro cactus is native only to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican state of Sonora and the Whipple Mountains and Imperial County areas in California.
A saguaro cactus starts out as a seed that survives by sprouting in a safe, shady spot where it can remain undetected from seed eaters and the elements. Most often, this safety is provided by a host plant. The cactus’ growth is slow, gaining a height of 1 to 1.5 inches in its first 8 years. A saguaro begins producing flowers around the 35-year mark. And branches do not appear until 50 to 70 years of age. Interestingly, the seedling’s slow growth allows it to outlive its host. So, as the cactus gains size, it has a clear spot to grow to full adulthood.
A saguaro can grow up to 25 branches, also called arms that reach upward. In rare cases, a saguaro may not grow any branches at all.
The specialized root system of the saguaro plant is the key to its survival in the harsh, arid climate of the Sonoran Desert. The main anchor is a single, deep growing tap root. Also, there is a system of 4 to 6 inch roots that radiate out as far as the plant is tall. These short roots grow close to the surface to enable them to absorb every available drop of moisture before it has a chance to evaporate.
The large spines that cover the saguaro protect the cactus from predators looking for food and water. The spines also provide shade for the plant from the intense desert sun.
Saguaros produce beautiful white, waxy flowers that bloom in the cool of the night. The melon-like smell of these flowers calls the nocturnal feeders, the lesser long-nosed bat and the Mexican long-tongued bat who are the plants’ primary pollinators. The flowers fade and wilt in the next day’s sun, but not before wasps, bees, butterflies, hummingbirds and white-wing doves have shared the left-over nectar.
Read more about the Lesser Long-nosed bat and their relationship with the saguaro here: https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/pollinators/pollinator-of-the-month/lesser_long-nosed_bat.shtml
The major bloom-time starts at the end of April and continues through May into the first week of June. The cacti are triggered to bloom by winter rains, lengthening daylight and warmer spring temperatures.
The red fruit formed from the saguaro flowers matures in 4 to 6 weeks after the bloom during the driest period in the desert. When ripe, the skin of the fruit splits to reveal red pulpy fruit dotted by tiny black seeds. The sweet fruit provides food and nectar for a variety of birds, animals and desert dwelling humans. The seeds are crunchy and high in protein and fat, making them a terrific food source in a place where food can be hard to find.
Humans have been drawn to this food source, along with the saguaro’s stored supply of water, for centuries. Saguaros are an integrated part of Southwestern Native American folklore and tradition, having provided for nearly every aspect of the desert tribal life. Saguaros are such an integrated part of the Tohono O’odham People that these cacti are given the same respect as people.
The O’odham People have been sustained by the saguaro for generations and have traditionally lived in “cactus camps.” The early desert dwellers got most everything they needed to live from the land around them. In the nutrient scarce desert, it was vital to harvest and utilize every exploitable part of the saguaro.
The rite of harvesting the saguaro is a tradition that has been passed down through generations of Tohono O’odham People. The ritual harvest is still carried out in the Saguaro National Monument Park. Read about it here: https://www.nps.gov/sagu/learn/historyculture/upload/Saguaro-Fruit-A-Traditional-Harvest-Brief.pdf
The sweet taste of the fruit is said to have the character of both berry and watermelon. Fruit can be eaten either raw or cooked. It’s also baked into cakes or made into preserves. The black seeds can be ground into a protein and fat rich flour.
A popular process is to create a syrup from the fruit. Combining the fruit syrup with water can make a refreshing drink. The syrup can also be fermented to make wine.
For the O’odham People who lived in the desert, the dead saguaro was as important to their survival as living plants. The ribs of dead saguaros had a variety of essential uses in everyday life. For example, they were used to construct shade ramadas, fencing, splints for broken bones, baby cradles, furniture and drill sticks for fire making. In addition, ribs were made into animal traps, arrows, games and instruments. The ribs were even prepared with grass and mud to use as wattle in wattle and daub houses.
Spines of the cactus were used as sewing needles. The seeds were ground and used as chicken feed. Medicinal uses included hydration and the supplement of Vitamin C.
The saguaro cactus is a survivor that has adapted its physiology to living in the intense climate of the Southwestern desert. Its existence is due to the plant’s ability to absorb and hold any and all moisture available to it. Pleats in the saguaro’s skin allow it to shrink and swell as the amount of retained moisture changes. Over the course of a year, a saguaro can change mass by as much as 25 percent of its size.
This amazing ability to reserve water for life in even the most arid part of the year enables the creatures of the Sonoran Desert to survive as well. In the driest part of the season, the saguaro fruit ripens full of moisture filled nectar. The sponge-like tissue of the saguaro is a water source for Gila woodpeckers and Gilded flickers, as well as pack rats, jackrabbits, and big horn sheep who eat the moisture laden flesh of the plant when no other water source is available.
Creatures also rely on this cactus for shelter and protection. Harris and red-tailed hawks use the top arms of the saguaro as a place to nest and to watch for prey. Gilded flickers and Gila Woodpeckers bore holes into the flesh of the saguaro for nests. These safe havens within the saguaro are appropriated by elf and screech owls, purple martins, finches and sparrows when abandoned by the original nesters.
The saguaro heals itself by hardening the tissue around the nesters’ holes. The bowl-shaped hardened tissue has been used throughout history by the O’odham People as vessels to carry and store food and water.
The saguaro is an icon of the American Southwest. It is regarded as an emblem of the American Southwest with its arms raised high to the Southwestern sky. Its importance as an American symbol is clear in the fact that its habitat was declared a national monument in 1933 and a national park in 1994.
