Saguaro
Carnegiea gigantea
- Notice
- Tall ribbed stems and creamy flower crowns
- When
- Flowers in late spring
- Habitat
- Sonoran Desert
- Best cue
- Look at stem and arm tips
Saguaros are tall, columnar cacti native to the Sonoran Desert. Their accordion-like ribs expand with stored water, and mature plants may grow arms after many decades.
Large creamy white flowers open near the tops of mature stems and arms in late spring. Individual flowers are brief, while the overall sequence lasts for weeks and changes with heat, drought, plant age, and the year.