Cactus Debate
Fact Sheet
Saguaro Cactus
FACTSHEET: Saguaro
NAME: Carnegiea gigantea
AKA: Saguaro, Giant Cactus
NATIVE GEOGRAPHY: only grows in the Sonoran Desert in
the Southwestern United States
1. Saguaros are some of the most interesting species in the
cactus family. Standing tall with arms raised in a perpetual
state of hello, saguaros are the tallest cactus in the United
States. This iconic cactus has adapted mechanisms to
survive and thrive in the Sonoran Desert, where they are
native. It is illegal to cut down or remove a Saguaro cactus.
2. Saguaros are very slow-growing cacti. In Saguaro
National Park, studies indicate that a saguaro grows
between 1 and 1.5 inches in the first eight years of its life.
In areas of lower precipitation, it may take up to 100 years
before arms appear.
3. When a saguaro reaches 35 years of age, it begins to
produce flowers. Though generally found at the terminal
end of the main trunk and arms, flowers may also occur
down the sides of the plant. Flowers will continue to be
produced throughout a saguaro’s lifetime. An adult saguaro
is generally considered to be about 125 years of age. It may
weigh 6 tons or more and be as tall as 50 feet. The average
life span of a saguaro is probably 150 - 175 years of age.
However, biologists believe that some plants may live over
200 years. The oldest known Saguaro is 300 years old –
nicknamed Old Grand Daddy.
4. It is unlikely that there are two identical saguaros. The
plant grows arms grow to maintain the balance of the core
plant. The plant will grow more arms based on the amount
of water it can access, but the purpose of the arm is to
create stability for the plant. If you see an “arm” that is
drooping downward at some point in its life, it likely
experiences a freeze event.
5. The saguaro is adapted to make the most of every drop
of rain. The cactus has a single deep taproot—the rest of its
roots grow close to the surface of the ground in order to
absorb as much water as possible before it evaporates.