The Mighty Saguaro

One question we consistently receive is how to pronounce ‘saguaro’.  The answer is, Sa-WAH-ro.  The saguaro is a majestic cactus that is also a refuge for animals.  The saguaro cactus is extremely slow growing.  In the first eight years of its life, a saguaro only grows approximately 1 to 1.5 inches and is protected from the summer sun and winter frost by a “nurse tree”, such as a palo verde, ironwood or mesquite.   Branches don’t typically appear on a saguaro until it reaches 60 to 75 years of age.  It doesn’t flower until it reaches 35 years old.   They reach adulthood at approximately 125 years of age and have a lifespan of 150 – 175 years of age. The gilded flicker and Gila woodpecker excavate nest cavities inside the saguaro’s pulpy flesh. When a woodpecker abandons a cavity, elf owls, screech owls, purple martins, finches and sparrows may move in. Large birds, like the Harris’s and red-tailed hawks, also use the saguaro for nesting and hunting platforms. Saguaro cacti also provide a valuable source of food for animals. In mid-summer, ripening fruit provides moisture and an energy-rich food during a time of scarcity. In drier areas of the Sonoran Desert, pack rats, jackrabbits, mule deer and bighorn sheep will also eat the saguaro’s flesh when other food and water sources are not available (U.S. Dept of Interior National Park Service).