Saguaro National Park

Visiting Saguaro National Park was a pleasant surprise and very educational. Another reason Carol and I are big supporters of our national parks. You need to study the desert climate, life cycles of it's inhabitants and the food chain to appreciate the beauty of this most unusual ecosystem in the United States. Thankfully there are over 91000 acres to preserve this "monarch" of the Sonoran Desert.
Left click to enlarge photo

 

While hiking the only reptiles I saw were small lizards

Some of the Saguaro cactus I stood by had to be 50 feet tall.

A 50 foot Saguaro is 150 years old.

Since 1933 these extraordinary giant cactus have been protected within the Saguaro National Park

A Saguaro cactus will be 70 years old before it sprouts it's first branch or arm

There are over 25 species of cacti in the park.

The fruit from the Saguaro, a juicy fig like fruit was used by Indians to make jam, syrup, and wine for religious ceremonies.