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;
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