This photograph was taken in the early evening within the Tucson Mountain District of Saguaro National Park. The saguaro cactus, Carnegiea gigantea, grows densely in this district located to the west of Tucson. The larger Rincon Mountain District (east of Tucson) has a more diverse landscape but not-as-dense populations of saguaros.
A note for local readers: if you're in the market for plants (and who isn't, it's springtime here!), Phoenix Perennials in Richmond, BC is holding a Charity Shopping Weekend for UBC Botanical Garden this Saturday and Sunday (April 22 and 23) from 10am to 5pm. Twenty-five percent of the total for each purchase will be donated to the garden to support our education and research efforts. In order for the donation to be applied, you must mention you are there to support UBC Botanical Garden when making your purchase. The chatter around the lunchroom table hinted that both David Tarrant and Douglas Justice will be making appearances (and also that the selection and quality of plants at Phoenix Perennials right now is spectacular).
Conservation resource link: Georgia Plant Conservation Alliance “is an innovative network of public gardens, government agencies, and environmental organizations committed to preserving Georgia's endangered flora”. The site features compelling accounts of their ongoing conservation projects and a good number of online publications. I think the GPCA's “Botanical Guardians” is a great name for a great idea.
having graudated from high school,in the 60's, in tucson, the above scene was almost a daily romp for adventure. tucson, the only place where saguaro's naturaly grow, land of the "giants", many over a century old, also had a small bird that lived in holes of the cactus,what a great home in such a harsh environment, sturdy,non-climbable,and much cooler than the desert floor.how diverse we are!
These saguaro are beautiful. I have 8 saguaro that I started from seed about 6 yrs ago. The smallest is only an inch tall and the largest is only about 3.5 in. I protect them from the Florida rainfall and would love to see the full grown versions one day.
I really love this desert, and very likely walked through the hills in this photo, 15-20 years ago. To my eyes, this is a spectacular and fascinating landscape, with gorgeous other-worldly vegetation.
Thanks for this.