Saguaro National Park.....I need a sombrero!

When I asked Hannah, our grandchild, if she knew what a saguaro was, she said: “oh yeah, I have seen those plants with a hat when we go to the Mexican restaurant! She is right....the saguaro is an iconic image of the southwest.

So, we are in West Tucson, Az to hike among the Saguaros, which are tree-like cacti native to the desert of Arizona.  They are the largest cactus in the US.  These unique plants develop branches, or arms, as they grow. They can have over 25 arms!   They grow very slow, as a 10 year plant may only be 1.5 inches tall, yet can reach 40-60 feet tall. They can live for over 150-200 years.  

Climate change is threatening these beautiful plants.  Monsoon rains are needed to drench these plants each year, but last summer, the rains never came.  Only 1.62 inches of rain fell compared with an average of 6 inches. It was Tucson’s dried year on record, as well as their hottest year.....over the time span of 124 days in a row, temps neve dropped below 100 degrees. The biggest risk to Saguaros is fire, kindled by the buffelgrass which forms a carpet under the cacti.  Volunteers are now going around the desert to remove this menacing grass.  

As if the harshness of the desert environment were not enough of a challenge, the pollination of saguaros poses an interesting challenge.  The bloom of the saguaros emerges for only one night each year.  The sweet scent from the bloom is a cue for the lesser long-nosed bat to enjoy the nectar for this one special night.  During this process, future plants are pollinated.  As we hiked among the saguaros, we enjoyed the various shapes and growth patterns of these crazy plants. Nighttime was especially beautiful.

 

Our hike today was the Kings Canyon hike.....5 miles through a really beautiful canyon.  Along the way, there was an old sulfur mine.