Saguaros

On a two lane highway …

Winding through the night.

Past countless tall Saguaros …

Bathing in the full moonlight.

Through  the midst of giants.

All around me everywhere.

Saguaros … arms held high.

In holy silent wonder there.

Born on top a tall saguaro…

And only in the dark of night.

Starlight gently washes them.

Bold flowers Lily-white.

Saguaros like an army frozen…

Waiting for the trumpets call.

Countless legions in green …

Praying for the rain to fall.

David D Jerald

The Saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) is a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico.

Night-blooming flowers appear April-May and the juicy red fruit matures by late June. The saguaro blossom is the state flower of Arizona.

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 or are shorter in duration.

A saguaro's growth is extremely slow. Growth occurs in spurts, with most of it taking place in the summer rainy season each year. The growth rate varies slightly depending on factors such as the annual rainfall of the area. The eastern Sonoran desert around Saguaro National Park receives more rainfall than that of western Arizona, and so the growth rate tends to be higher. By the end of a year  the saguaro seedling may measure only ¼ inch. After 15 years, the saguaro may be barely a foot tall. At about 30 years saguaros begin to flower and produce fruit. By 50 years the saguaro can be as tall as 7 feet. After about 75 years it may sprout its first branches, or "arms". The branches begin as prickly balls, then extend out and upward.

By 100 years the saguaro may have reached 25 feet. Saguaros that live 150 years  or more attain the grandest sizes, towering as high as 50 feet or more and weighing 10 tons, sometimes more, dwarfing every other living thing in the desert. These are the largest cacti in the United States. Their huge bulk is supported by a strong but flexible cylinder-shaped framework of long woody ribs.

Many features assist the saguaro in storing and conserving that most precious of desert commodities – water. Accordion-like pleats allow the saguaro to expand and hold water collected through the roots. Spongy flesh in the trunk and branches serves as a reservoir where water is stored as a slow-to-evaporate gelatin-like substance. Unlike most plants, the saguaro cactus has no conventional leaves, which transpire large amounts of water. The food-making process of photosynthesis normally carried out by green leaves is performed in the trunk and branches. Spines discourage animals from taking the cactus' moisture, shade the plant, and shield it from drying winds. Waxy skin aids in reducing moisture loss.

The saguaro collects water with a network of roots that lies about 3 inches below the surface and stretches as far out from the main stem as the saguaro is tall. In a single rainfall, these shallow roots–along with special small root hairs that grow moisture–may soak up as much as 200 gallons of water, enough to last the saguaro a year.

All info found at Saguaro National Park Link below;

http://www.shannontech.com/ParkVision/Saguaro/Saguaro.html

Also here;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguaro