SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK

Last Thursday, we took a little trip down near Tucson, to the Saguaro (pronounced sah-wah-row) National Park. We're in the Sonoran desert, and it's the only place in the world where you see these amazing cacti. The visitors center had a nice movie, and when it was done, the screen went up and the curtains opened, and you can see thousands of saguaros out the window. It's pretty dramatic!



The saguaros are very interesting-they can be as tall as 7 feet by 50 years and by 75 years may start growing arms or branches. By 100 years, they may reach 25 feet, and by 150 years they can be as high as 50 feet and weigh 8 tons. If a saguaro dies, it leaves a skeleton.

The arms grow upward, but may be damaged from frost or snow and it will damage the base of the branch. The weight of the branch pulls it down. If it survives, the growing tip will turn upward again.


Saguaros are protected by law in the park and all through Arizona. There are all sorts of other cacti in the area. Here are two kinds-first the barrel cactus.

And an ocotillo cactus and it's flower at the top.