There is some magic in this photograph. It’s the magic of the long life of the Saguaro Cactus. I have no idea how old this cactus is, but I call this picture, “Senior Citizen.” Just by the number of arms you know it is an old dude.
These cactus are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert, which includes southern Arizona, a very small part of southeast California, and the state of Sonora in Mexico. So when you see a western movie with Saguaro Cactus in it (like several John Wayne movies), you know it was filmed around here…in fact there is a movie studio just a few miles from my home where many westerns have been filmed.
Anyway, these cactus are very slow growers…a ten-year old cactus may be just 1.5” high. They don’t grow arms until they are 75-100 years old. The life span is anywhere from 150-200 years. The really big ones are mostly found here around Tucson because we get the most rain (those damned summer monsoons). The arms are used to store water.
But what is wonderful about the Saguaro is they are all different. Just wander around our deserts and you will see what I mean. No two look alike. A good place to look is the Saguaro Cactus National Park here in Tucson. There are actually two parks…one on the very east side of town up against the Rincon Mountains…and the other on the west side.
Hint: you will find the highest number of cactus on the west side. Here they are thick as thieves, even outside the park. I should know as that is where I live. I can see hundreds of them every day when I take my morning walk. I hope I never take them for granted.
On another related topic, as this photo is done in black and white, I thought I would direct you to a great article on black and white photography entitled, “When a Lack of Color is the Perfect Answer.” It was written for photographers but it does give a some good explanations as to why black and white is still an important medium. Give it a read.
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