Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum

A Salute to Saguaros

by July 5, 2010 – Posted in: Garden Adventures

  Saguaro (pronounced “sah-hwah-roh”) cactus evokes Arizona and the desert Southwest. With arms raised to the sky, each tall cactus has great personality. These cylindrical trees, found only in the Sonoran Desert, can attain 50 feet with great age. It takes a saguaro 75 years to branch. Some are estimated at 200 years old. Younger [...]

The Joys of Cholla

by June 20, 2010 – Posted in: Garden Adventures

Recently when I addressed the Tucson Cactus & Succulent Society, I made the mistake of saying I don’t recommend that anyone grow cholla (pronounced “choy-ah”). I mean, look at it. Could there be a more unfriendly plant? Well, you’d think I’d insulted a favorite son. “There are more than a dozen different species,” the members told me, each [...]