The Saguaro Cactus Only Grows in the Sonoran Desert

Any cartoon you've ever seen of the Old West likely has a Saguaro cactus in it. These are the archetypal cacti—tall, slender plants that occasionally resemble a stick person with his arms bent. Their likeness can be seen in photographs and even in video games like Cactuar from Final Fantasy. The Saguaro cactus has an incredibly small distribution, despite being a geographical and historical icon of the west and the Old West, respectively.

Saguaros typically live more over 150 years, which is a relatively lengthy lifespan. Some may never develop any arms, while others may develop their first side arm between the ages of 75 and 100. The development of arms boosts a plant's ability to reproduce since more apices result in more blooms and fruit. A saguaro can absorb and store a lot of rainwater, visually growing while it does so, and then gradually use the stored water as needed. Due to this characteristic, saguaro trees can endure dry spells. It is a keystone species that supports numerous other species by serving as their food source and habitat.

The Saguaro cactus can only be found in the Sonoran Desert. That includes southern Arizona, the adjacent regions of northwest Mexico, and the very southeast boundary of California. The cactus in that region typically only flourishes in Arizona. Even though there are 194 native cactus species in the American Southwest and 23 major deserts in the world, the Saguaro nevertheless serves as a universal symbol for all of them.

Kingdom: Plantae
Clade: Tracheophytes
Clade: Angiosperms
Clade: Eudicots
Order: Caryophyllales
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Echinocereeae
Genus: Carnegiea, Britton & Rose
Species: C. gigantea