Saguaros

Saguaros are the giant, classicly shaped cacti that characterise the deserts of Arizona and Mexico. They absorb and store huge amounts of water after the summer rains, which can increase the weight of a large speciment by 750-900kg. The stored water enables the saguaro to flower every year, even if the rainfall has been lower than average. They are pollinated by bats, birds and bees, with the seeds dispersed by birds that eat the juicy, red fruits.


It can take a saguaro cactus over 75 years to develop a side arm.

Source: http://www.bbc.co.uk/nature/life/Saguaro

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