Saguaro
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The most important factors for growth are water and temperature.
If the elevation is too high, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. 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. You find this cactus in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico.
At the northern portion of their range they are more plentiful on the warmer south facing slopes. A few stray plants can also be found in southeast California.
The saguaro is not currently listed as threatened or endangered. Arizona has strict regulations about the harvesting, collection or destruction of this species.
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With the right growing conditions, it is estimated that saguaros can live to be as much as years old. The saguaro is a keystone species that provides food and shelter for many desert animals. Saguaros have hundreds of flowers that bloom several per day from late April to early June. The flowers open at night and close the following afternoon.
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Lesser long-nosed bats visit the flowers at night. Birds, mostly white-winged doves, and insects, mostly honey bees, visit the flowers the following morning. The fruits mature in June and early July. The rind splits into three or four sections that peel back to expose the juicy red pulp embedded with up to 2, tiny seeds. The fruits ripen during the peak of drought in the early summer and are about the only moist food source for many birds, mammals, and insects during this part of the year.
These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the. The saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) is an arborescent (tree-like) cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea, which can grow to be over 40 feet (12 m) tall.
Saguaros make excellent nesting places for many birds. Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers both excavate nest holes in the fleshy stems. The woodpeckers usually excavate new nest holes each year giving other birds like elf owls, house finches, ash-throated flycatchers, and purple martins an opportunity to occupy old woodpecker nests.
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Red-tailed hawks and other large birds nest in the angles between the main stems and the arms. Tucson, Arizona is home to the nation's largest cacti. The giant saguaro is the universal symbol of the American west. These majestic plants, found only in a small portion of the United States, are protected by Saguaro National Park, to the east and west of the modern city of Tucson.
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Here you have a chance to see these enormous cacti, silhouetted by the beauty of a magnificent desert sunset. Helpful information to help plan your visit before visiting the park.
Dick Buscher The saguaro cactus naturally grows only in the Sonoran Desert, which is indicated by the brown shading of this U. Retrieved from " https: Some insects on which it feeds carry diseases, harmless to the bird, which damage the cactus and leave discolorations. National Park Service ". Our editors will review what you've submitted, and if it meets our criteria, we'll add it to the article.
Camping at Saguaro National Park is available year-round but sites are first come first serve. Click here for more information.
