Stay Sharp, Stand Tall, and Reach for the Sky!

The saguaro cactus is the largest cactus in the United States.  Saguaros are one of the defining plants of the Sonoran Desert found in southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico. 

These plants are large, tree-like columnar cacti that develop branches or arms as they age.  These arms bend upward and can number over 25, although some saguaros never grow arms.  Saguaros are covered with protective spines.  In the spring they have white flowers and produce red fruit in the summer.  

Saguaros grow very slowly.  A 10 year old plant may only be 1.5 inches tall.  By 95-100  years in age, a saguaro can reach a height of 15-16 feet.  At this point it could start to produce its first arm. By 200 years old, the saguaro cactus has reached its full height of between 40-60 feet.  With the right growing conditions, saguaros can live to be 150-200 years old.

The most important factors for growth are water and temperature.  If the elevation is too high, the cold weather and frost can kill the saguaro.  In the Sonoran Desert, it is thought that the Saguaro obtains most of its moisture during the summer rainy season.

By the time a saguaro is four feet tall its roots have been growing for as many as 55 years. The roots of most saguaros are only 4-6 inches deep and they spread out in all directions as far from the plant as it is tall.  There is one deep root.  This root extends down into the ground more than two feet. The roots have special hairs on them that makes it possible for them to collect up to 200 gallons of water during a rainfall.

Saguaro cacti host a great variety of animals.  The Gila woodpecker and the gilded flicker make their nests in the trunks of saguaros.  They hollow out a space inside the saguaro’s pulpy flesh creating holes in the trunk. When their young are raised and a woodpecker abandons the nest cavity, elf owls, screech owls, purple martins, finches and sparrows may move in. 

The saguaro cactus blossom is Arizona’s state flower.  Destruction or theft of a saguaro is illegal under state law.  The reason for this law is because the saguaro cactus takes a long time to grow. If you own property in Arizona and you have a Saguaro cactus on your land, cutting the tree down is a crime.  You are required by law to notify the Arizona Department of Agriculture. 

Some folks wonder if you can get water from a cactus.  The answer is NO!  In movies and films you sometimes see a cowboy lop off the top of a barrel cactus and dip his ladle in and get a drink of water.  That is not water.  It is a noxious fluid that’s very high in alkalis.  Instead of a refreshing drink you will get a stomachache and will likely end up vomiting.  Touching the spines of a cactus is OK. The spines are poisonous but puncture sites can become infected. Be careful what you touch.

These are the sayings found on the bookmark called Advice from a Saguaro.

• Stand tall

• Reach for the sky

• Be patient through the dry spells

• Conserve your resources

• Think long term

• Wait for your time to bloom

• Stay sharp!

Here are my comments about each of these sayings. 

• Stand tall - Stand tall means to be confident. Congratulate yourself and know that you can do this. 

• Reach for the sky - Set very high goals.  The sky's the limit. 

• Be patient through the dry spells - A dry spell can be a period of little or no productivity but be patient.  Use that time to work on other things like mindset or learning a new skill.  

• Conserve your resources - Whether you are thinking of natural resources or financial resources it is important to use them wisely and ensure that they are available for use not only today, but in the future as well.

• Think long term - To think long term means you are consciously working towards the future.  Each decision you make brings life to the exciting possibilities that are to come.

• Wait for your time to bloom - Like a flower we all bloom in our own way.  Wait and do it your way.

• Stay sharp! - Be the best at what you do.

Have a great day everyone.  Stand tall and reach for the sky!

# living life abundantly  # published author  # travelling tuesdays