Saguaro Cactus

The saguaro (pronounced suh-WAR-oh) cactus can grow up to forty feet tall, making it the largest cactus in North America. It is sometimes called the “sentinel of the Southwest” because of how it resembles a giant standing person. It has a thick, straight stalk with branches or “arms” growing off it that bend upwards as if they had elbows.

The only place where the saguaro grows is the Sonoran Desert, which spreads across much of Arizona and Mexico plus the southern edge of California. The reason it can flourish in such hot, dry weather is that it is mostly a vessel for storing water. A full-grown, saturated saguaro can weigh almost 5,000 pounds! If the temperature is too low or the elevation is too high, saguaros cannot grow.