(#1) The saguaro (suh-WAHR-oh) cactus is one of the tallest cactuses (or cacti) in the world. These majestic plants can grow taller than a two-story building, and live to be well over a hundred years of age. The saguaro's unusual shapes make them look as if they are tall prickly people. Inside the saguaro, is a circle of long woody rods, called ribs. The rods help support the cactus's heavy trunk and arm-like branches. The trunk-like stem is grooved like an accordion. This allows the cactus to expand as water is stored inside it from seasonal rains. The cactus will need to use that water during the dry season
Saguaro Boots
Saguaro cacti provide food and shelter for many desert animals. Animals, such as Gila (HEE-la) woodpeckers, hollow out nesting holes in the upper parts of a saguaro's trunk and branches. The birds peck deeply into the cactus, creating just enough room to lay their eggs and raise their young. After the bird hacks into the cactus, the plant heals its deep wound by sealing the cavity with a cork-like tissue. The tissue hardens into the shapes created by the birds, which often look similar to shoes. In fact, the old dried nesting holes are called saguaro "boots." They can be found among dead saguaros (see photos below). When the woodpeckers move out, one of the world's tiniest owls moves in--the Elf Owl. Other desert birds also use the nests for raising their young and for roosting.
Below (left), you can see the circle of long woody rods from a dead saguaro, next to live cacti, in a cactus forest. (Click on photos to enlarge)
Saguaro Boots
Saguaro cacti provide food and shelter for many desert animals. Animals, such as Gila (HEE-la) woodpeckers, hollow out nesting holes in the upper parts of a saguaro's trunk and branches. The birds peck deeply into the cactus, creating just enough room to lay their eggs and raise their young. After the bird hacks into the cactus, the plant heals its deep wound by sealing the cavity with a cork-like tissue. The tissue hardens into the shapes created by the birds, which often look similar to shoes. In fact, the old dried nesting holes are called saguaro "boots." They can be found among dead saguaros (see photos below). When the woodpeckers move out, one of the world's tiniest owls moves in--the Elf Owl. Other desert birds also use the nests for raising their young and for roosting.
Below (left), you can see the circle of long woody rods from a dead saguaro, next to live cacti, in a cactus forest. (Click on photos to enlarge)
Notice the old saguaro nests on the dead cactus above. The nests are still attached to the woody rods that once supported this huge cactus arm. The old nests are all different sizes. Do you see any that remind you of a "boot?" Now you can see why the nests got the name-- "boot." One of the nests is over 2 feet (61 cm) long. I'm sure those young birds stayed cool and protected when the cactus was alive, like the plant in the left photo. The nests would have been surrounded with thick moist pulp and waxy spiny skin. How many boots can you count? I see quite a few. And to think, this was only one arm on this enormous cactus, which reached high into the sky.
Did you know that a saguaro grows so slowly that a plant which is only two inches (5 cm) tall may be as old as ten years. A young 12 inch (30 cm) tall saguaro, such as the one in the lower left photo, may be as old as 25 years. In order to grow, saguaros need the shelter of other plants, such as shrubs and trees. These plants are called nurse plants. The trees' lower thorny branches protect the young cacti from hungry plant-eating animals. The branches also shelter the growing cacti from harsh sunlight and colder temperatures. The cactus in the photo below has been sheltered for many years underneath the branches of an old paloverde tree. |
Blooms for only one day
During the end of spring, beautiful white flowers form near the tops of the saguaros. Each flower, which only stays open for one day, provides nectar and pollen for many animals, such as bats, birds, and insects. A few weeks later... where the flowers once bloomed, green fruits will ripen, and open--revealing their juicy-red seed-filled insides. The fruits supply food for both animals and people. People enjoy making tasty treats from the fruits, such as jams, breads, drinks, salsa, and even cactus candy!
Many desert birds, such as doves, feed on the juicy seed-filled fruit of the giant saguaros. The birds receive much-needed moisture from the fruits. Each fruit is filled with hundreds of tiny seeds. Only a few seeds will find their way to the dry soil below. If weather conditions are right, some seeds will sprout from underneath protective thorny shrubs. The large shrubs will shelter and shade the little cacti as they grow. If the tender young plants are not eaten by plant-eating animals, and the weather does not get too cold, the little cacti will have a good chance of growing... to one day become the beautiful giant saguaros that surround them.
A Fallen Giant
Every-now-and-then... a lofty majestic saguaro falls. Due to bacteria or other problems, an old giant will begin to decay, or rot. When it falls, the cactus will provide food, moisture, and shelter for more desert creatures than it ever did before. One study revealed over 400 tiny creatures in just one large square chunk of rotting cactus. Insects, such as beetles, flies, and mites, can be found teeming on a fallen rotting cactus. The insects will feed on the cactus, and many of their young will grow in the rotting flesh. Other animals, such as spiders and scorpions, will feed on the insects. The rotting cactus will also provide much-needed nutrients for the dry soil below. The enormous cactus above had just fallen when I came across it. Recent summer storms had been strong in the area. Bees were living in the top part--in an old woodpecker's nest. It looks like the cactus had lost the top part of its trunk many years ago. Yet, the cactus continued to provide food and shelter. This shows that nothing in the desert is ever wasted.
Every-now-and-then... a lofty majestic saguaro falls. Due to bacteria or other problems, an old giant will begin to decay, or rot. When it falls, the cactus will provide food, moisture, and shelter for more desert creatures than it ever did before. One study revealed over 400 tiny creatures in just one large square chunk of rotting cactus. Insects, such as beetles, flies, and mites, can be found teeming on a fallen rotting cactus. The insects will feed on the cactus, and many of their young will grow in the rotting flesh. Other animals, such as spiders and scorpions, will feed on the insects. The rotting cactus will also provide much-needed nutrients for the dry soil below. The enormous cactus above had just fallen when I came across it. Recent summer storms had been strong in the area. Bees were living in the top part--in an old woodpecker's nest. It looks like the cactus had lost the top part of its trunk many years ago. Yet, the cactus continued to provide food and shelter. This shows that nothing in the desert is ever wasted.
(#2) One of the most widely recognized of all desert cacti is the "prickly pear" (Engelmann). Saguaro cacti and prickly pear are frequently found growing together. Can you see the giant saguaros behind the prickly pear cactus in the right photo. You can click on the photo to see more closely. These prickly pear grow as very large trunk-less mounds of flat oval-shaped pads (branches). The cactus pads are covered with long sharp spines. The pads also contain tiny barbed hairs (called glochids), which are very hard to get out of the skin when touched. Yellow flowers grow at the top of the spiny pads during spring and early summer. These are followed by purplish-red fruit. The fruit is called "Tuna" in Spanish, and is eaten by browsing animals, rodents, birds, and also by people. People use the fruit to make tasty foods, such as jellies, breads, candy, and much more.
A Protective Home
Wood rats (called pack rats) like to build their nests at the base of prickly pear cacti. The spiny cacti provide protection and shade. The wood rats also have quicker access to the juicy fruit above.
A Protective Home
Wood rats (called pack rats) like to build their nests at the base of prickly pear cacti. The spiny cacti provide protection and shade. The wood rats also have quicker access to the juicy fruit above.
"How could such a prickly plant,
one that makes all hands cower,
produce such a lovely
warm and welcoming flower."
--Carolyn French
I found the prickly pear cactus below in an area that
receives a little more rain than other parts of the desert.
The cactus looks very healthy, and is full of ripe red fruits.
(#3) Cholla (CHOY-uh) cacti are known for having some of the sharpest spines around. Their spiny stems can easily break off, and stick to animals and people. That's why some are called "Jumping Chollas." The sharp spines can hurt badly, and are very hard to get out. There has been more than one time when I had to use pliers to remove a spiny stem from a shoe or toe! The stems fall to the ground in new places, and grow new stems. This is another way that cacti reproduce--make new plants. Wood rats prefer to protect their nests with cholla stems. I've come across several wood rat nests covered with mounds of prickly cholla cactus stems. Such spiny protection keeps most hungry animals away from the nests. Desert birds, such as Cactus Wrens, will build their nests right inside the protective spiny stems. If you would like to see a photo of a cactus wren nest on a cholla, just click on the right photo (Teddy Bear Cholla), or on Desert Birds.
The wood rat nest in the left photo contains a lot of old dried cholla segments. A cholla cactus once lived above this huge prickly mound. Can you see the old branches? I imagine the wood rat living inside is well-protected. As long as a smaller predator, such as a hungry rattlesnake, does not find its way inside, the rat should stay pretty safe.
Even while I took this photo from a safe distance, I still managed to get a dried spiny cholla segment stuck in my shoe--ouch!
Even while I took this photo from a safe distance, I still managed to get a dried spiny cholla segment stuck in my shoe--ouch!
(#4) Hedgehog Cacti (above and left photo) reminded the early Europeans of the little prickly hedgehogs back home. It's believed that is how the plants got the name "hedgehog." Most of these smaller cacti grow in clusters that are about one foot (30 cm) tall. The clusters often contain around 5-15 upright stems. Some kinds can have as many as 60 stems. The spines on these smaller cacti are very long and very sharp. Long and colorful funnel-shaped flowers appear on the cacti during spring. Strawberry Hedgehog cacti grow beautiful purplish-red to lavender flowers. Because of their large and colorful flowers, and smaller size, people like to grow hedgehog cacti in their desert gardens.
Careful! They may look like hedgehogs, but you wouldn't want to touch these little guys. The spines can grow over one inch (2.5 cm) long--ouch!
Careful! They may look like hedgehogs, but you wouldn't want to touch these little guys. The spines can grow over one inch (2.5 cm) long--ouch!
(# 6) And last, but not least--is the little pincushion cactus. Most of these small cacti grow as very short rounded stems that are around six inches (15 cm) tall. Some say the cactus looks like a little egg, covered in a spiny wool jacket. The "wool" is actually a mass of tiny thin stickers. Notice the tiny stickers in the above photo. The stickers cover the cactus so completely, the plant almost looks white. Longer darker hook-shaped stickers reach out above the smaller stickers, which gives some pincushions the name--"fishhook pincushions." Like many small desert plants, pincushion cacti cannot tolerate full sun. As a result, the plants can often be found growing underneath the shade of taller plants, such as cholla (CHOY-uh) cacti and creosote (cre-uh-sote) bushes. Can you see the little pincushion cacti below. They are tiny, so look carefully. You can click onto the photo for a closer view. I see a few plants. Some of these are also flowering. During summer, little crowns of colorful flowers bloom near the tops of the cacti. The flowers produce food for nectar-loving animals, such as the bee in the above photo. Look closely, and you will see its little "bee-hind."