These stately succulents stand guard throughout the desert, proudly displaying the arms that have taken years to grow. This grampa of the desert, at left, is over 20 feet tall and could be up to 200 years old. The saguaro begins life under the protection of a nurse plant. As it grows, it will develop arms that reach toward the sky. It will be 50 years before the plant blossoms with the beautiful state flower of Arizona and it takes 75 years before appendages sprout.
Saguaros provide high rise dormitories for a number of desert dwellers.
Primary architects of the cactus cavities are the gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers who are also residents. As the saguaro ages, it begins to deteriorate until only its skeleton remains. You may see saguaro carcass still standing, or lying on the ground like a pile of old bones. Its anatomy enables the cactus to store enough moisture to survive without rain for periods of up to two or even three years. In many ways, the life of a saguaro reflects that of a human being.