Exceptional Saguaros
Even iconic Saguaros have icons
Cacti have been around for millions of years and are believed to have first appeared on Earth roughly 40 million years ago. Over time, cacti have evolved and adapted to survive in some of the most extreme climates, becoming one of the most resilient species in the world today.
As with most species, there always is the biggest/tallest and the oldest. People are fascinated with “record breakers” which is why there’s a Guinness Book of World Records. We will take a look at the record breakers. In addition, we’ll look at some very unique saguaros that grow “crests”.
Tallest Saguaro
Tallest cactus is listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as a 78-foot-tall armless saguaro in Cave Creek, Arizona. Unfortunately, it was blown over in a windstorm in July 1986. Windstorm Fells 78-Foot Cactus--Tallest in World - Los Angeles Times (latimes.com)
World’s Largest Saguaro
You can imagine that, over the years, this title will pass to a younger saguaro as living things do not live forever.
This vintage postcard from the 1940’s shares with us a beautiful colored image of the “largest” saguaro known at the time. I don’t know where this saguaro grew or what happened to it, but it reminds us that record holders change as time passes. Read below what the text on the back of this post card says. Even at this time, they are looking for the next World’s Largest.
Champion Saguaro
The National Register of Champion Trees is a list of the largest tree specimens found in the United States as reported to American Forests by the public. Anybody can nominate a Champion Tree. To be eligible, a species must be recognized as native or naturalized in the United States. The organization American Forests has maintained the list since 1940 and uses the following formula to calculate a point score for each tree so that they may be compared to others:
Trunk Circumference (in inches) + Height (in feet) + 1/4 Average Crown Spread (in feet) = Total Points
The tree with the most points is declared a Champion Tree of that species. All woody plants, including cacti, are considered for the list, if they grow at least 13 feet tall with a single trunk at least 9 inches in circumference.
The champion saguaro is located somewhere up in the Phoenix area, has a height of 30 feet, a crown spread of 9 feet and a 119-inch trunk circumference. What’s impressive is that, after applying simple geometry, the diameter of the trunk is about 38 inches. Wow. Just wow. Saguaro - AZ - AmericanWoForests
Oldest Saguaro
The oldest saguaro was estimated to be about 300 years old, grew in Saguaro National Park, and unfortunately, is no longer alive. Old Granddaddy was over 40 feet tall and had 52 arms when he died from bacterial necrosis which typically affects older cacti. Before Old Granddaddy’s demise, it was one of the most visited and photographed cactus in the National Park. 4 Oldest Cacti in the World - Oldest.org
Crested Saguaros
Sometimes, the cells in the growing stem (crown or arm) mutate and divide outward instead of in a circular pattern like what we know as a “normal” cactus. The resulting arm or crown of the saguaro will grow “fan-shaped”. This is known as a crested or cristate saguaro. Crests are generally a semi-circle and measure between three and five feet across and some people say they resemble broccoli.
This unique growth pattern occurs in most species of cactus, but it isn’t as large or impressive as in the saguaro.
Cactus poachers target crested saguaros because they can demand high prices on the Black Market. Because of this, they get the highest level of protection from the Arizona Department of Agriculture.
Fortunately, there are people who go out and document crested saguaros and photograph them. This is good for science as it can help with data collection for study and it’s good because if a crested saguaro is stolen and planted elsewhere, it could be tracked back to various online “databases” to prove it’s been illegally moved. Therefore, poaching these cacti isn’t as prevalent as it once was. Interested citizens have formed the Crested Saguaro Society and have documented over 2200 specimens throughout the Sonoran Desert. Their website is interesting, however, I found website of a member of that society that has a wonderful set of pictures that is easily viewed. Check it out here. Joe Orman's Photo Pages - Crested Saguaros (shutterace.com) It’s hard to imagine all of the different ways these cacti have mutated so you must take a look for yourself.
80-Armed Saguaro
In Ironwood Forest National Monument northwest of Tucson stands an exceptional saguaro nicknamed Shiva. The cactus has grown over 80 arms, so it makes sense that it’s been compared to the multi-armed Hindu god. A saguaro researcher named Bill Peachey believes that this saguaro probably only had four to five arms until it reached 100 years old and then a burst of hormones led to a proliferation of arms.
It’s hard to believe that all of these saguaros started from a tiny seed. Here is a picture of a saguaro seedling grown on a windowsill. The baby saguaro is nearly a year old.
Next Time
Before the heyday of the automobile, railroads were responsible for transporting Americans. Railroad companies advertised travel to the national parks and built the infrastructure to serve travelers. I will talk about how the Union Pacific Railroad provided tours and to some of our nation’s finest national parks. Most of the lodges they built can still be visited today. This early tourism helped develop the parks that we know and love.
Absolutely fascinating article, Jan. Thank you!
Jan you have a gift for infusing information with enchantment for your subject matter. The Saguaros are definitely fascinating and after living in AZ for 20 years, making frequent trips between Phoenix and Tucson and beyond the cacti became --almost--mundane. But never really. Because as they stand sentry on the desert one can't help but wonder what they've seen, what they might predict, what will they endure before at last they succumb like Old Granddad to the ravages of old age.