In Saguaro Land

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It may take three years for a seedling Saguaro to reach golf-ball size.  The "ribs" expand and contract with the amount of stored water.
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Saguaros have a three foot (1 M) tap root.  Additional fine feeder roots spread outward from the tap root as wide as the Saguaro is tall.  The fine feeder roots are able to rapidly absorb any available moisture.   Narrowed sections of the Saguaro trunk indicate periods of drought.   
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A Saguaro will grow its first "arm" at approximately age 70.
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A Saguaro with several "arms" may be over 200 years old. Yes, Saguaros have the potential to form crests, as other cacti and succulents do.  
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Saguaros are endemic to southern Arizona southward into Baja California.  They are native to nowhere else on Earth.  A forest without foliage. 
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An internal skeleton supports 20,000 pounds (9,000 kilograms) of water storage tissue in a mature Saguaro.
Saguaro Skeleton
Although a Saguaro may produce hundreds of thousands of fertile seeds during its lifetime, genetic testing and research has shown that it rarely has more than one surviving offspring. 

Comments

  1. Wow, amazing how long it can take a plant to grow.Those spines look deadly too.

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  2. I see your road trip has taken you somewhere very beautiful. Thanks for the fabulous photos, I hope there will be more...

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  3. Wow this is an amazing post, very informative and awesome. I haven't read those exact figures, incredible. Now i can't imagine the difficulties these plants go through, and how they die makes me so curious! I can't imagine why only one seed survives per mother plant!

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  4. There are amazing plants. Especially love the last photo.

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  5. beautiful photos. I love cactus! My fovorite the first one. It's incredible!

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  6. Fascinating facts and great photos -- I love the "skeleton" most I think. :-)

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  7. Such a wonderful post about this cactus Hoover. And I also hope there will be more photo's.
    Have a wonderful day.

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  8. Wonderful photos of an amazing plant. They are truly awesome, thanks for sharing

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