I'm really developing a love affair with the majestic giant saguaro cactuses here in Arizona. Every time I hike (or just drive around town) I'm in awe of them.
These saguaros are all in Catalina State Park, which is just 10 minutes up the road from me and is becoming my regular walking spot instead of walking in my neighborhood.
The picture above shows the ribs that are inside a saguaro. I don't know what happened to this one.
You do have to be careful not to brush up against them, because those needles are nasty. When my daughter was little and we were vacationing in Tucson, she leaned up against a saguaro with her hand and a needle went almost all the way through her little palm. Luckily we were able to get it out without going to the hospital.
I put my foot in this picture for perspective so you can see how big they are. They can grow up to 60 feet tall, although there have been reports of some taller ones.
It's sad to see how the big fire last summer burned some of them in Catalina State Park. They look okay above the burned bottoms (picture above and below are the same plant), but a ranger told me today that they might not all make it because they could be badly burned inside where we can't see.
Have a colorful day
I love your photos! What a treat to have good hiking so close to where you live, and to be able to go any time of the day now that it's cooler! I can see you hiking the trails for years to come... you'll probably start naming the Saguaros... ;-)
ReplyDeleteI. too, love your photos! Those saguaros are magnificent!!! While you bask in the warmth in Arizona, we in
ReplyDeletethe Northeast are in the midst of a giant snowstorm which is expected to leave us with 12 to 15 inches. :-)
Stay safe.
Wow...what an interesting blog post! Thanks so much! You know I love the landscape and vegetation in AZ. But this was so interesting! Thanks for the info and pics!
ReplyDelete