Discover the Sonoran Desert: Saguaro Cacti

The Symbol of the American West

Towering over the Sonoran Desert, the saguaro cactus is one of the most iconic sights of the Southwest. But did you know these desert giants hold secrets about the past and clues to the future?

Saguaros can tell us a lot about our past, and future

By: Brooke Wagner, 13 News

Deserts make up almost half of the world’s land area. If that biome is not healthy, it’s bad news for everyone. Arizona’s saguaro cactus, in particular, is a bellwether of our future. And we’re not the only ones feeling the heat.

“It’s really iconic of the Desert Southwest. People come from all over to go to Saguaro National Park. It would be tragic not to have that here,” said conservation research scientist Katie Predick.

Saguaros are sturdy sentinels of the desert. But their tough green skin and spines may no longer be enough armor against the warning from Sonoran sands. These majestic giants are a living look at how we’re weathering an ecological storm. “A huge number of desert species rely on the saguaro,” Predick said.

The saguaro is strong. It can tolerate a lot. So when these guys are stressed, we should take notice. In southern Arizona, like at the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum where Predick works, it’s nothing like the decline in Phoenix. Strained by what’s called the “urban heat island effect” alternating with too much water at once, saguaros are rotting from the inside - losing arms, or simply crumbling.

”That kind of dramatic collapse or loss of arms, we’re not seeing at all, so hopefully that’ll continue to be the case for us,” Predick said.

Here, we have a different problem.

”Little baby saguaros we’re not seeing nearly as many of them,” said Predick. “They don’t do as well with the heat as the older saguaros, They don’t store water as well.”

Saguaros are at least 50 when they grow their first arm, and live to be around 150. But they take a long time to grow. They do most of that growing at night - and the nights are getting hotter much faster than the days. ”They can outlast a lot, they can’t indefinitely outlast heat,” Predick said.

Increasing wildfires are also a major threat. Some invasive species like buffelgrass can crowd them out and feed fires. Joining efforts to remove invasive plants helps those native to our area.
Planting trees also helps support the Southern Arizona environment, and you can pot saguaro seeds, but you’ll need to wait until they’re older to transfer them outside.

Saguaros fall under the Native Plant Protection Act. If your cactus loses an arm, leave it alone. The saguaro will form a protective callous, using those centuries-old survival skills. The Sonoran Desert is one of a kind, supporting species found nowhere else.

It’s also a harbinger of hope. Research shows desert soil acts as a “carbon sink” trapping and keeping carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere. Scientists are looking at ways to harness that work, suggesting a healthy next generation of saguaros bodes well for generations of people.

Story Courtesy: 13 News/KOLD. Subscribe to the 13 News YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/@13newskold

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Saguaro National Park

We are lucky to have one of the nation’s most treasured parks, Saguaro National Park, right in our backyard. Saguaro National Park consists of two distinctly different parks, located within two different mountain ranges that are on opposite sides of Tucson, Arizona. Marana is closest to Saguaro National Park West and the eastern side of the park is located just one hour away by car.

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