where is the saguaro desert

Is Saguaro National Park located in a desert?

Saguaro National Park offers great opportunities for sunset watching. Saguaro National Park is located within a desert, but contrary to what you might expect, there is an abundance of life. Plants here are adapted to drought, so during long dry periods they are able to go dormant, conserving their water.

How does sand affect the Saguaro desert?

Desert Dust Feeds Amazon Forests. April 29, 2015: The Sahara Desert is one of the least hospitable climates on Earth. Its barren plateaus, rocky peaks, and shifting sands envelop the northern third of Africa, which sees very little rain, vegetation, and life. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic Ocean thrives the world’s largest rainforest.

Is a saguaro lizard suited to live in the desert?

They are strictly nocturnal. This means that they only come out from their holes and crevices at night time to hunt for food What adaptation does a lizard have to prevent drying out in the desert? Lizards have extra-thick skinto help prevent drying out in the desert.

What desert is home to the saguaro cacti?

Here are some other fun facts about the saguaro cactus:

• Saguaro cactus are massive — but they grow slow. Saguaros reach over 50 feet tall, and can grow as many as 50 arms, or branches. ...
• It's illegal to damage or harm a saguaro. There are some exceptions, but interrupting a saguaro's natural growth is prohibited in Arizona. ...
• The saguaro produces fruit and flower blossoms. ...
• Don't touch the saguaro! ...

Where is the saguaro cactus located?

You find this cactus in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico. At the northern portion of their range they are more plentiful on the warmer south facing slopes. A few stray plants can also be found in southeast California.

What desert is Saguaro National Park in?

the Sonoran DesertThe park gets its name from the saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea), a large cactus that is native to the Sonoran Desert and that does not grow naturally elsewhere.

Is the saguaro cactus in the Sahara Desert?

The Saguaro cactus doesn't grow in the Sahara Desert. It is found in the deserts of the southern United States and northern Mexico, where it can grow up to 15 m (50 ft.) tall.

What state is Saguaro National Park in?

ArizonaSaguaro National Park / State

Where is the biggest cactus in Arizona?

Impressive “saguaro forests” can be seen along the Ajo Mountain Drive. The saguaro cactus is the largest cactus in the United States, and will normally reach heights of 40 feet tall. The tallest saguaro cactus ever measured towered over 78 feet into the air.

Where is the largest cactus in the world?

Still, you can't miss it if you head to the Sonora Desert in Baja California, Mexico, where according to the Guinness World Records 2007 edition, the tallest of the tall Cardon (Pachycereus pringlei) measured 63 feet (19.2 m) in April of 1995. The book also states that this height is about as tall as four giraffes.

Are there saguaros in Texas?

Saguaro cacti only grow in the Sonoran desert of southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico, with a few stray saguaros in California. The saguaro cactus does not grow in Texas. It is a common misconception that the saguaro grows throughout the west.

Can you cut an arm off a saguaro cactus?

On federal land such as Saguaro National Park, it's illegal to remove any plant, including saguaros, according to the National Park Service. As for state, tribal or private land, removal or destruction of saguaros in Arizona is illegal without the landowner's permission and a permit.

Do saguaros grow in California?

In addition to Arizona and Mexico, a few isolated populations of this species occur in the far southeastern corner of California along the Arizona/California border. This means that California can claim the saguaro cactus as part of our diverse native flora!

What is the best time of year to visit Saguaro National Park?

winterThe best time to visit Saguaro National Park is in the winter (December – February).

Are there two Saguaro national parks?

Saguaro is made up of two separate areas — the Tucson Mountain District (West) and the Rincon Mountain District (East). Within the two parks are some of the finest example of Sonoran Desert landscape in the entire Southwest region. Saguaro National Park is considered lush for a desert.

Is it worth visiting Saguaro National Park?

Deemed a national treasure by recent visitors, this park is the perfect place to come if you want to see some iconic southwestern landscapes. Although both sections of the park are worth your time, many recent visitors recommend the Tucson Mountain District over the Rincon Mountain area for its spectacular sunsets.

What is the climate of Saguaro National Park?

According to the United States Department of Agriculture, the Plant Hardiness zone at Red Hills Visitor Center 2,553 feet (778 m) is 9b with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 25.8 °F (−3.4 °C), and 9a with an average annual extreme minimum temperature of 23.4 °F (−4.8 °C) at Rincon Mountain Visitor Center 3,091 feet (942 m).

How long do saguaro live?

Saguaros may live as long as 200 years and are considered mature at about age 125. A mature saguaro may grow up to 60 feet (18 m) tall and weigh up to 4,800 pounds (2,200 kg) when fully hydrated. The total number of saguaros in the park is estimated at 1.8 million, and 24 other species of cactus are abundant.

How big is the Tucson Mountain District?

The park consists of two separate parcels, the Tucson Mountain District (TMD) to the west of Tucson, Arizona, and the Rincon Mountain District (RMD) to the east. Each parcel comes within about 10 miles (16 km) of the center of the city. Their total combined area in 2016 was 91,716 acres (37,116 ha). The Tucson Mountain District covers about 25,000 acres (10,000 ha), while the much larger Rincon Mountain District accounts for the balance of about 67,000 acres (27,000 ha). About 71,000 acres (29,000 ha) of the park, including large fractions of both districts, is designated wilderness.

What are the indigenous people of Saguaro?

The earliest known residents of the land in and around what later became Saguaro National Park were the Hohokam , who lived there in villages between 200 and 1450 A.D. Petroglyphs and bits of broken pottery are among Hohokam artifacts found in the park. The Hohokam hunted deer and other animals, gathered cholla buds, prickly pears, palo verde pods, and saguaro fruit, and grew corn, beans, and squash. Subsequent indigenous cultures, the Sobaipuri of the Tucson Basin and the Tohono O'odham to the west, may be descendants of the Hohokam , though the evidence is inconclusive.

How many species of fungi are there in Saguaro National Park?

During annual inventories in 2011 and 2013, hundreds of scientists and thousands of volunteers identified 389 species of vascular plants, 25 of non-vascular plants, and 197 species of fungi in Saguaro National Park. Saguaros, which flourish in both districts of the park, grow at an exceptionally slow rate.

Is Saguaro National Park dry?

Saguaro National Park lies within the watershed of the north-flowing Santa Cruz River, which is generally dry. Rincon Creek in the southern part of the Rincon Mountain District, free-flowing for at least part of the year, has the largest riparian zone in the park.

How high can a saguaro grow?

Saguaros are also limited by elevation. They are generally found growing from sea level to approximately 4,000 feet in elevation. Saguaros growing higher than 4,000 feet are usually found on south facing slopes where freezing temperatures are less likely to occur ...

Where do saguaro cacti grow?

Where Saguaros Grow. Saguaro cacti, Carnegiea gigantea, only grow in the Sonoran Desert. However, they do not grow in all parts of the Sonoran Desert. This map represents the range of the Sonoran Desert (crosshatch) with an overlay of the range of the saguaro cactus (solid).

Where are saguaros found?

Though the geographic anomaly has lessened in recent years, Western films once enthusiastically placed saguaros in the Monument Valley of Arizona, as well as New Mexico, Utah, and Texas. The Dallas, Texas-based band Reverend Horton Heat pokes fun at this phenomenon in their song "Ain't no Saguaro in Texas".

What is a saguaro?

Pilocereus giganteus Rumpler. Old growth saguaro. The saguaro ( / səˈwɑːroʊ /, Spanish pronunciation: [saˈɣwaɾo]) ( Carnegiea gigantea) is a tree-like cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea that can grow to be over 12 meters (40 feet) tall.

How tall do saguaro cactus get?

Saguaros grow from 3–16 m (10–52 ft) tall, and up to 75 cm (30 in) in diameter. They are slow growing, but routinely live 150 to 200 years. They are the largest cactus in the United States. A many armed saguaro in Tucson, AZ.

Why is the Saguaro blossom called the Saguaro?

Its scientific name is given in honor of Andrew Carnegie. In 1994, Saguaro National Park, near Tucson, Arizona, was designated to help protect this species and its habitat. Some saguaros are cristate or "crested" due to fasciation.

How tall is the largest saguaro tree?

the National Register of Champion Trees listed the largest known living saguaro in the United States in Maricopa County, Arizona, measuring 13.8 m (45 ft 3 in) high with a girth of 3.1 m (10 ft 2 in); it has an estimated age of 200 years and survived damage in the 2005 Cave Creek Complex Fire.

What do saguaro doves eat?

The saguaro provides voluminous amounts of pollen, nectar, and fruits. The fruits are eaten by the white-winged dove and ants , so that seeds rarely escape to germinate. White-winged doves are important pollinators, visiting blooms more often than any other bird species. For desert white-winged doves, 60% or more of their diet is saguaro-based. Their breeding cycle coincides with that of the saguaro blooming.

What is the role of a saguaro in the ecosystem?

The saguaro is a keystone species, and provides food, shelter, and protection to hundreds of other species. Every stage of the saguaro's life sustains a significant number of species, from seedling to after its death.

What is the role of a saguaro in the desert?

The saguaro provides both food and shelter for a variety of desert species and plays an integral role in the culture of the Tohono O’odham people. It has been written that the saguaro can be ecologically connected to nearly every other organism in its range, including humans. Saguaro cacti in Saguaro National Park. NPS.

Where do saguaro cactus grow?

The saguaro cactus grows only in the Sonoran Desert of the U.S. and Mexico. Its range is limited by freezing temperatures and altitude. The body and armlike branches of the saguaro are pleated and ridged, with hard spines and bristles.

What is the significance of the saguaro plant?

Archeological evidence indicates that the Hohokam people of the modern-day Tucson area used the saguaro in their daily lives. For the present-day Tohono O’odham, believed to be descendants of the Hohokam, the saguaro is a sacred plant, used for both ceremony and sustenance. Saguaros are slow-growing.

How long do saguaro plants live?

The average life span of a saguaro is probably 150–175 years, but some plants may live more than 200 years. Sonoran Desert (brown), with an overlay of the range of the saguaro cactus (green).

Why are saguaro cacti important?

Saguaro cacti are highly important to both animals and people. Small birds excavate nest cavities inside the saguaro’s pulpy fle sh, and large ones build stick nests among its arms. Saguaro flowers, fruit, and flesh variously provide nectar, moisture, and food for birds, bats, mammals, reptiles, and insects. Archeological evidence indicates that the ...

How long does it take for a saguaro to grow?

In Saguaro National Park, a saguaro grows between 1 and 1.5 inches in the first eight years of its life; branches normally begin to appear at 50–70 years of age. In drier areas, it may take up to 100 years before the branches appear.

Is the Saguaro plant endangered?

The saguaro is a common plant in the Sonoran Desert, and is not an endangered species. The biggest threats to its current status are anthropogenic: loss of habitat and exotic-plant introduction.

How tall is a saguaro?

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.

What can a saguaro be used for?

After the saguaro dies its woody ribs can be used to build roofs, fences, and parts of furniture. The holes that birds nested in or "saguaro boots" can be found among the dead saguaros. Native Americans used these as water containers long before the canteen was available.

What is the name of the cactus in the Sonoran Desert?

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 (or arms) as they age, although some never grow arms. These arms generally bend upward and can number over 25.

Can a saguaro die from frost?

If the elevation is too high, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro. Although the the Sonoran Desert experiences both winter and summer rains, it is thought that the Saguaro obtains most of its moisture during the summer rainy season.

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