Canfield Travels | |
2023 Winter #1 |
A World of Cactus
On the outskirts of Tucson, a small part of the Sonoran
Desert is preserved as Saguaro National Park. Here the monarchs of the cactus
world, the saguaro, welcome us to a lush and diverse land.
Saguaros grow very slowly at first an inch or so each year during
their first six to eight years. Seedlings have the best chance of survive when
sheltered by “nurse trees” like the paloverde.
Paloverde
Nursery
5
to 10 years old
Friends
and Family
It may be 70 years before they sprout arms. Long woody ribs support their multi-ton bulk.
35
to 70 years old
Death
150 to 200 years old
Although the saguaro is the cactus “king” there are many
other striking cacti.
Organ
protected from frost
And others:
The arid desert supports many useful plants other than
cacti. Among these are agaves and yuccas both of which are succulents.
For agave (think tequila) see: https://www.britannica.com/plant/Agave
For yuccas see: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yucca
Yes we have done several hikes with our friends Joyce and
Alan Breach.