SENTINELS OF THE SOUTHWEST

Captivating both locals and tourists, the Carnegiea gigantea, commonly known as the saguaro, is one of the most iconic and well-known succulents of the American Southwest.

Named after Andrew Carnegie in 1903, these desert giants can reach up to 40 feet tall and live on average 150-200 years. Saguaros are unique because they only grow in high elevations of the Sonoran Desert, which spans parts of Arizona, California and Mexico.

For thousands of years, Native American tribes, such as the Tohono O’odham people, used saguaros in their everyday lives. White flowers grow on top of saguaros every May and June, which blossom into bright red fruits. Every year, the Tohono O’odham people harvest saguaro fruits, cook them, eat them raw or turn the nectar into sweet syrup. To this day, many Native Americans follow in their ancestor’s footsteps and collect these fruits yearly.

​Beyond their prickly appearance, saguaros have a beautiful relationship with the desert’s biodiversity. Saguaros provide shelter and safety for many species of desert wildlife, including small birds, insects and wild animals like coyotes. Birds like the Gila Woodpecker often carve holes in saguaros’ sides to build their nests. Coyotes climb on top of saguaros to hide from predators.

​According to Cam Juarez, the Community Engagement Officer at Saguaro National Park, what makes saguaros so special is how they continue to give life even in death.

​“When the saguaro gets old enough or if there is an environmental element to make it fall,” said Juarez, “they will eventually become part of the soil. It will provide nutrients for other saguaros and other plants.”