The Saguaro is the largest cactus in the US, can grow to be over 200 years old and yet only have a root system of about 6 inches. Some can reach heights of up to 60 feet and weigh over 4500 pounds if well hydrated. Normally they grow their first arms when 50 years old and can number over 25. The cactus only grow in the Sonoran Desert, flower in late spring and have very protective spines covering the plant. Here are a few of the "funny" cacti, their arms form many shapes and sometimes look almost human in form. Photos taken in the Saguaro NP.

[loco]

Six inch roots? Wow. Great factoids there, Bob! Lovely shots, too. Such great color, that blue sky is gorgeous! I never tire of your cactus photos.

[daacon]

Wow not sure what's more impressive you narrative or the shots well done Bob and thanks for the info.

[Barnster]

Cactai are one of my favourite plants,so good work on the capture,and by the look of your images,there's thousands of them to take a picture from Bob.

[Sailor]

Nice, Bob. These characters look almost like . . . . well. . . . . . characters.

Jer

[Bob Harris]

Six inch roots? Wow. Great factoids there, Bob! Lovely shots, too. Such great color, that blue sky is gorgeous! I never tire of your cactus photos.

Lori, there is a tap root of about 2 feet and as the Saguaro grows, the root system widens. I try to get as many cactus photos as I can when we travel, the blossoms don't last very long on the cacti. Thanks for the kind words. Bob

[Bob Harris]

Wow not sure what's more impressive you narrative or the shots well done Bob and thanks for the info.

thanks Dave, I thought if the shots weren't that good, I could at least woo everyone with words

[WPRESTO]

Nice series. Been a long time since I looked at my photos from Saguaro NP, but I have a feeling there's a shot of one of the self-same cacti. I like the dead ones where the exposed strap-wood reveals how these plants can be so solid, yet can expand like an accordion when it rains.

[WPRESTO]

And Bob: Will you be going south to Gringo Pass to see the senecio cacti?

[Bob Harris]

Nice, Bob. These characters look almost like . . . . well. . . . . . characters.

Jer

As dusk arrives Jer, you get all kinds of looking shapes and I'm not just talking about me.

[charliezap]

As dusk arrives Jer, you get all kinds of looking shapes and I'm not just talking about me.

If you add a Red Solo cup or two and maybe some desert peyote we would could all sit around the campfire and see some shapes.. Nice shots BTW Bob.--charliezap

[normhead]

Hey Bob, those are quite the flowers, I wonder what pollinates them. Thanks for the post.

[WPRESTO]

Hey Bob, those are quite the flowers, I wonder what pollinates them. Thanks for the post.

Some of these big cacti are pollinated by bats. Consequently the flowers are large and very open to accommodate the bat's face. There's one cactus species that flowers only at night for the bats, the flowers closing and wilting at sunup.

[Bob Harris]

Nice series. Been a long time since I looked at my photos from Saguaro NP, but I have a feeling there's a shot of one of the self-same cacti. I like the dead ones where the exposed strap-wood reveals how these plants can be so solid, yet can expand like an accordion when it rains.

We spent a lot of time in the park Walt, I even took a wrong road and wandered around lost, but finally came off of the mountain and found the main dirt road. I think the mature plants can hold up to 1000 pounds of water during a wet year in preparation for the dry years. It is amazing how plants survive in the desert. TFL, Bob

[Bob Harris]

And Bob: Will you be going south to Gringo Pass to see the senecio cacti?

Too many drug smugglers down in that area, For awhile you even had to go in armed groups with M14's to view Organ Pipe NM