~Sonoran Desert Saguaro~

~Tucson, Arizona~


The saguaro cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) is one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert. These plants are large, tree-like columnar cacti that develop branches (arms) as they age, although some never grow arms. These arms usually don't start to appear until the plant is around 75 years old and generally bend upward and can number over 25. Saguaros are covered with protective spines, white flowers in the late spring, and red fruit in summer.

Saguaros are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert. 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. They grow at an elevation between 2,500 feet and 5,000 feet around Tucson. Although the the Sonoran Desert experiences both winter and summer rains, the Saguaro obtains most of its moisture during the summer rainy season. At the northern portion of their range they are more plentiful on the warmer south facing slopes. With the right conditions, it is estimated that they can live to be as much as 150-200 years old.

Saguaro are very slow growing cactus. A 10 year old plant might only be 1.5 inches tall. Saguaro can grow to be between 40-60 feet tall (12-18m). When rain is plentiful and the saguaro is fully hydrated it can weigh between 3200-4800 pounds. Most of the saguaros roots are only 4-6 inches deep and radiate out as far from the plant as it is tall.

I never get tired of photographing these desert giants. Each one is unique and different than any other saguaro you might come across. This give me endless opportunities to image them.

As you might have guessed, I'm trying to work more in monochrome. Of course, my sunsets and other certain images won't work in B&W, but I will be working more in mono-style. I'm attempting to move into the Fine Art genre with my images, my processing and my printing. This is a whole new way of looking at the world as I see it.

Thanks for stopping and looking around,
TucsonJim


(Edit: I provided more information for someone else,
I thought it might also add to the experience of this page.)

The saguaro cactus is not an endangered species, but they are protected. They can be uprooted easily and sold for landscaping. One can get a license to do this but it is a very controlled process. You see even on the black market they sell for $150 to $200 per foot of growth, and if they have arms (branches) maybe over $300 per foot. This one I photographed was 10 feet tall with no arms, $1500. Thats why they are protected.

Even worse, they can be cut off above the ground and the will reroot. Some people really suck. So the jails in Arizona are full of people who think they can get away with it, the fools!

Each landscaped saguaro has a state issued metal tag attached around it and if someone wants to see the tag you better have it handy to show. It is also against the law to have a untagged saguaro in your yard.
You can see I'm passionate about this subject!

TucsonJim