CACTUS

December, 2018 – January, 2019

The Sonoran Desert is an arid region covering approximately 100,000 square miles in southwestern Arizona and southeastern California, as well as most of Baja California and the western half of the state of Sonora, Mexico.  The saguaro cactus is the signature plant of the Sonoran Desert.

Saguaro National Park is part of the Sonoran Desert, located in Pima County, Arizona.  The 92,000-acre park is pretty much bisected by the City of Tucson — the Tucson Mountain District about 10 miles west of the city of Tucson and the Rincon Mountain District about 10 miles east of the city.  The park exists to preserve the Sonoran Desert landscapes, fauna, and flora, and especially the giant saguaro cactus.  Tucson has been called the cactus kingdom of dreams (Andi Berlin, 2018)!

Preserving the landscapes of the desert is not unique to the Park alone.  Mother Nature has been and is actively at work and clearly focused on making sure that if the landscape is below 2000 feet above sea level, without a visible running water source most of the year, and not covered in concrete or macadam, cholla cactus, agave, barrel cactus, yucca, the palo verde tree or mesquite tree, and, yes, saguaro cactus find a way to root into a speck of land and thrive.

However, in the area near metro Tucson there are canyons with running streams and brooks.  In those preserves juniper, oak, douglas fir, white fir, quaking aspen and sycamore trees can be found.  The species of birds and mammals is very different from that found in the desert – and the temperatures are generally cooler, particularly in summertime.  Mt Lemmon and Mt Wrightson both rise more than 9000 feet above sea level, and they were covered in snow during our time in the area.  Mt Lemmon had a 60- inch snow base and the ski slope was open!  But enough about that for now – this blog is about cactus.

There are visible differences between the east and west sides of Saguaro National Park.  Sure, we had to show our National Parks pass at the Rincon Mountain District gate to enter the east side of the Park.  We drove directly into the Tucson Mountain District (west) part of the park.  For reference there are visitors centers at each of the parks.  But that’s not the primary difference.  We calculated the numbers of saguaro cacti in each side of the park and determined that the density is higher in the east.  And most of the saguaros in the Rincon Mountain District had “arms”; that wasn’t the case in the Tucson Mountain District.

 

One of the things we noticed as we drove toward the Rincon entrance to the eastern part of the park was the large number of bicyclists on the road.  We thought that perhaps we had made a mistake in not bringing our bikes along.  After a brief stop at the visitors center for information and to watch a short film, we took the one-way, eight-mile drive on the Cactus Forest Loop around the park.  The Loop is a narrow, hilly challenging paved road with many sharp turns, which firmly convinced us that we made the right choice in not bringing our bikes.  Trying to ride our commuter bikes would have been very challenging if not near impossible – they’re just not set up for that kind of ride.  We stopped for lunch at one of the trailheads that had a peaceful and pleasant view of the snow-capped mountains in the distance.  After lunch we ventured out on a short hike among these magnificent giants.

As you open yourself to this place and the wonderous desert, the saguaro grow on you, and it’s hard not to anthropomorphize the saguaro and other cacti. Some seem to be welcoming you with their open arms. Others are standing like little kids peeking out from behind their mother’s skirt; some are arranged as a family, some solitary and alone; some are bent to symbolize their age and the effect their years of labor and toil have taken, and yet others stand in majesty declaring their rightful place in this world.

When you hear about the history of the area and realize the importance of the saguaro to the First Nation Peoples, the Tohono O’odham, it makes you look at saguaro with a different eye.  The Tohono O’odham hold the saguaro in the highest regard.  The cactus provides sustenance year-round and hydration during the brutally hot and dry summer season, but in their belief the saguaro become sacred as the living legacy of their past; representing forefathers and foremothers, the many generations who thrived in the shadow of the saguaro.  To the Tohono O’odham when you walk amongst the saguaro you are walking among friends who welcome you with uplifted arms.  In respect for their traditions and beliefs we bring no harm to these mighty and ancient giants.  L’Dor Vador.

Like every living thing, the saguaro have a life span. Some may live to be 200 years old; others die because of disease or other forces of nature. During their lifetime their fruits provide nourishment to man and beast, and they provide a home for birds and other desert wildlife. But even in death, the skeletal remains continue to have purpose and function. Saguaro ribs have been used to build houses.  The ribs are strong but lightweight enough to be used as roofing material over a stone structure.  The woody ribs serve many practical functions as well: splints for broken bones; canes or walking sticks, and they are often incorporated into cradles for babies.

What’s the big deal about cactus having arms?  They grow their first side arm any time from 75–100 years of age (sure, some don’t ever grow arms).  Arms are developed to increase the plant’s reproductive capacity, and it leads to more flowers and fruit.  Saguaros may grow to be over 40 feet in height.  Saguaros with arms are older than those without (called spears).

One more word before pictures from our hikes in the Park.  There are untold numbers of spears (no arms) and mature (arms) saguaro. The crested saguaro, however, is rare.    Even when saguaro cacti grow in their normal form, they rarely grow symmetrically, and sometimes an odd or misshapen form, looking like a fan, will top the saguaro.  This is referred to as crested (cristate) saguaro.  The Rangers estimate that there are only 25 crested saguaro in the entire park.

We marveled at the variety of other cacti in the park.

We got up way early one morning to experience the saguaro at sunrise.

 

We had timed our visit to enjoy the setting sun, too, and hoped we would get to see some wildlife, (javelina, fox or rabbits), but it was either too or cold or our timing was off. We were not disappointed at all; it was a glorious way to spend a few days in the desert.

Barbara and Brian