2011-60 Saguaro National Park, Arizona
Hello
All,
As stated in our last little blurb our next point of interest would be Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ. It is an awesome place to visit and learn about desert plants. However, we do recommend visiting it during the winter months, as the area can be extremely hot during the summer.
The namesake of the park is the mighty Saguaro Cactus. It is the state flower of Arizona and has an average lifespan of about 200 years. It only lives within the Sonoran Desert of southeast California, southern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. It is a protected species in the USA.
Covered with a smooth waxy skin with two-inch spines that are located on the vertical ribs, the Saguaro is a formidable plant. The stem of the cactus can be 18 to 24 inches in diameter. It is a very slow growing plant. A 10-year old plant might only be 1½ inches tall. Full grown it can be between 40 and 60 feet tall with as many as 25 arms or branches, although some never grow arms.
In May and June the cactus bears 3-inch creamy white flowers with yellow centers. They can be found on the top and ends of the branches. The flower only opens on cooler nights and is closed during the heat of midday. Of course they were not in bloom while we were there.
When it rains the Saguaro soaks up water and holds it in its expanding ribs. A full grown cactus can hold over 200 gallons of water. It likes a hot dry climate and needs little water to survive.
Many animals eat the cactus and the flower attracts bats, bees, wasps, ants, and butterflies. Gila woodpeckers like the interior of the Saguaro because it is the only plant it can hollow out for their nest in the desert. The woodpecker drills 2 to 3 holes before it decides to live in one. It pecks into the soft tissue that the cactus uses to store water. The cactus itself fixes the damage by sealing up the inside with scar tissue which stops the loss of water.
As stated in our last little blurb our next point of interest would be Saguaro National Park near Tucson, AZ. It is an awesome place to visit and learn about desert plants. However, we do recommend visiting it during the winter months, as the area can be extremely hot during the summer.
The namesake of the park is the mighty Saguaro Cactus. It is the state flower of Arizona and has an average lifespan of about 200 years. It only lives within the Sonoran Desert of southeast California, southern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. It is a protected species in the USA.
Covered with a smooth waxy skin with two-inch spines that are located on the vertical ribs, the Saguaro is a formidable plant. The stem of the cactus can be 18 to 24 inches in diameter. It is a very slow growing plant. A 10-year old plant might only be 1½ inches tall. Full grown it can be between 40 and 60 feet tall with as many as 25 arms or branches, although some never grow arms.
In May and June the cactus bears 3-inch creamy white flowers with yellow centers. They can be found on the top and ends of the branches. The flower only opens on cooler nights and is closed during the heat of midday. Of course they were not in bloom while we were there.
When it rains the Saguaro soaks up water and holds it in its expanding ribs. A full grown cactus can hold over 200 gallons of water. It likes a hot dry climate and needs little water to survive.
Many animals eat the cactus and the flower attracts bats, bees, wasps, ants, and butterflies. Gila woodpeckers like the interior of the Saguaro because it is the only plant it can hollow out for their nest in the desert. The woodpecker drills 2 to 3 holes before it decides to live in one. It pecks into the soft tissue that the cactus uses to store water. The cactus itself fixes the damage by sealing up the inside with scar tissue which stops the loss of water.
An
adult Saguaro Cactus may weigh 6 tons or more. The following two photos with
Dave standing beside one will help with demonstrating just how big they can
get.
Saguaros
sometimes grow in odd or strange forms. The growing tip occasionally produces a
fanlike form which is referred to as crested or cristate. Though these Crested
Saguaros are somewhat rare, over 25 live within the boundaries of the national
park. Biologists disagree as to why some saguaros grow in this unusual form.
Some speculate that it is a genetic mutation. Others say it is the result of a
lightning strike or freeze damage. At this point they simply do not know what
causes this rare crested form. Here are a couple of shots of a Crested Saguaro.
The little guy in the
following photos is a Cactus Wren. They are the largest of the North American
wren species. It has a loud voice and is not shy in the least. In residential
areas they are notorious for getting into mischief. Being a curious bird it is
not uncommon to find them flying in and out of cars when the owner has left a
window open or in garages with the door open. They live in the hot arid desert
throughout the year. Mating for life they nest in cactus plants and defend
their territory ferociously.
For
protection many Cactus Wrens build their nests in the sharp prickly spines of
desert plants. Others use a vacant hole in a Saguaro Cactus.
Ocotillo, also known
as a Coachwhip, Candlewood, Slimwood, Vine Cactus, Flaming Sword and Jacob’s
Staff are common within the Sonoran Desert. They can reach a height of 20 feet.
For much of the year they look like ugly spiny dead sticks. With rainfall the
plant quickly becomes lush with small oval leaves along the stems like in the
following photo. The leaves may remain for weeks or even months. Without rain
the leaves fall and the leaf stalks harden into blunt spines. The next time it
rains new leaves sprout again from the base of the spines. Bright crimson
flowers appear, especially after rainfall in the spring and summer. Flowers are
clustered at the tips of the stems and are pollinated by hummingbirds and
native carpenter bees. It is quite an ingenious plant that has adapted well to
desert life.
The
Palo Verde is an unusual looking shrub or small tree which grows in the Sonoran
Desert attaining a height of 10 to 20 feet. It also has adapted in unique ways
to survive the killing heat. Palo Verde, or “green wood” in Spanish, has a thin
almost waxy looking green bark. The smooth greenish trunk and branches contain
chlorophyll, which gives it the ability to carry out photosynthesis when the
plant has shed leaves during the extreme desert heat. It also has a very deep
root system and is “branch deciduous,” meaning it may shed some of its branches
during severe droughts, becoming a smaller tree.
From a distance
Teddybear Cholla, or Jumping Cholla, looks like a fuzzy, soft plant with many
short, fuzzy branches looking like teddybear arms, growing from the top. As you
get closer you realize that the cuddly looking plant is completely covered with
silvery spines. If you are unlucky enough to brush up against the plant, you
will find yourself painfully stuck to a spiny segment that seems to have
“jumped” off the plant. Segments will also “jump” when stepped on and attach
themselves to your leg. The segmented joint of the Jumping Cholla separates
easily when brushed up against. Segments can be found littering the ground
around the plants. The plant in the lower right hand corner of the following
photo is a Jumping Cholla. There is another one to the left.
Here
is a closer look at a Jumping Cholla. Trust us you don’t want to brush up
against it! If you are unlucky enough to have one attach to you they are
extremely difficult to remove as there is no way to get your fingers to the
stem to pull it off. When available, leather gloves or pliers work well for
removing them.
The
Fishhook Barrel Cactus can be identified by its thick barrel-shaped body and
long hooked spines. It has yellow/red flowers and a yellow fruit which always
grow at the top of the plant. It normally attains a height of between 2 and 4
feet, but may grow to as high as 10 feet. Its lifespan is 50-100 years. Often it
is called the “Compass Barrel” because some of the larger plants lean toward
the southwest. It does contain water, but the water contains oxalic acid and is
likely to cause diarrhea if ingested—just what a person needs when dying of
thirst in the hot desert!!
As
the sun fell lower in the winter sky we snapped a few parting shots and called
it a day at Saguaro National Park. It is a fun place where you can learn a lot
about the desert and its flora. We would highly recommend visiting it if you
find yourself in this part of the country.
Our
next adventures will be in and around Phoenix, AZ--but more on that later.
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns
Until next time,
Dave & Barb
The Traveling Browns