What makes saguaros special among cacti?

Although there are hundreds of cactus species, the saguaro cactus stands out among them all. The largest cactus in the world, these plants are found in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona.

Like some trees that live long, saguaros can have a long life spanning from 150 to 200 years. They can grow very tall too. A saguaro cactus normally reaches the height of 40 metres. Their growth, however, is extremely slow. The plant continues to grow taller until it completes its life cycle; and thus it takes up to 200 years to reach its full height.

One of the most distinguishing characteristics of the plant is its arms. They spread out like raised arms of a human being and a fully developed plant looks spectacular from a distance.

A saguaro cactus is fully equipped to meet the harsh climate of the Sonoran Desert. The plant’s skin is covered with a thick wax coating that waterproofs the plant. This wax coating reduces the plant’s water loss significantly. The hard and sharp spines and the flexible bristles of the plant help it to ward off the animals that look for water in the plant. There is a sponge like tissue within the plant, and this helps the plant store water. The stem gets larger and larger as more water is stored within the plant. The ability of the plant to store water in this manner can make it quite heavy. Sometimes, at its full height, a saguaro cactus may weigh around a tonne.

 

Picture Credit : Google