I live to see new things. I have never lived in a desert state before now, so, it was with some interest that I looked forward to my first Spring here in the Sonoran desert. And I was not disappointed.
Most of the Spring display of flowers is history now, and I took some beautiful photos, more of which I will share in the next blog. But, for this edition, I want to focus on the blooms of the giant Saguaro cactus that only grows naturally here in the Sonoran desert.
As I’ve mentioned before, these giant cactus can live for over two hundred years. They don’t even begin growing their arms until after 100 years. They store water better than the Hoover Dam, so even drought years don’t affect them. And now, they are in full bloom. It is something to see.
West of Tucson, where I live, the Saguaro grow thick as thieves, and almost all are blooming now. It is amazing to drive by and see them. As you can see in the photos, each cactus has more than one bloom…many more. 
The first photo shows four arms of a single Saguaro cactus, all in bloom, so you know it is an older one. Most blooms are up very high on the plant, so photographing is difficult…but I found a little hill where I was able to photograph this cactus located further down the hill.
The flower from these cacti are the state flower of Arizona. The plants themselves are protected by state law and cannot be cut down or transplanted. The fruit of the Saguaro can be used to make jam and syrup, although it is not as common as the prickly pear cactus fruit.
My desire to see new things has been more than satisfied this Spring, here in the desert. The Saguaro cactus continue to inspire awe and wonder. In the next edition, I will show you the flowers of other amazing cactus that grow all around me.
PS – It might be a few days before the next blog as I am heading out tomorrow to see more new places…cameras-in-hand, of course.
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