wacky wednesday - a not so prickly subject

Having lived in the Sonoran Desert practically my whole life, I am no stranger to saguaro cactus. They are everywhere. Along the side of the freeways. In front yards. In the "natural desert" as you travel around Arizona. Arizona is the only U.S. state in which saguaros grow, although they also grow in Mexico.

I have always loved looking at them, so tall and majestic. They have white, waxy-looking flowers in the spring and red fruit in the summer which can be used to make wine, jelly and syrup. Two-armed saguaros remind me of people while the multi-armed (they can have as many as 25 arms!) ones look like space aliens, especially from a distance.

These cactus giants can grow to a height of 60 feet or more and weigh over one ton! I love how they draw my eyes upward.

The average lifespan of a saguaro is 150 to 175 years although some live more than 200 years. At the end of its life, the saguaro begins decomposing while still upright. The tough outer skin often takes a long time to peel off. Its five-foot long taproot that goes down deep to find water holds it erect while the massive, shallow (about three inches) root system that spreads out as wide as the cactus is tall decomposes. 

Soon, all that is left is the woody skeleton. The long ribs were once used by Native Americans and early western settlers in the construction of their homes and to make fruit-pickers. Now they are just pretty to look at. And fun to touch!

Of all the cactus in the desert, the saguaros are my favorite. Even in death they are pointing to heaven and declaring the majesty of God.