Saguaros are some of the most magnificent cactuses on the planet, growing anywhere from 40 to 60 feet tall when they mature, which takes several decades. A recently hydrated sagauro can weigh as much as a Nissan Leaf (about 4,000 pounds).
Found throughout the desert southwest in the United States and throughout Mexico, these majestic cactuses are exactly what you might think of when you imagine a cactus growing in the desert. The classic vertical cactus with a few arms growing out from each side.
Did you know that it can take 50 or more years for a saguaro to grow an arm?
Unfortunately, the intense heat wave in Arizona this summer, which has seen temperatures rise to at least 110 in Phoenix every single day for a month, has caused some saguaros to give up and fall over.
Unlike many other types of cactuses, saguaros can't be propagated when they break apart or die, which means they're done once they fall to the ground. You won't see another saguaro growing up out of the recently fallen limb or body of a saguaro.
An article published by the Associated Press indicates that the biggest of the saguaros are under the greatest threat and that sizzling overnight temperatures above 90 degrees make it difficult for the saguaros to survive the next day's scorching temperatures.
The Instagram post below features the little baby saguaro cactus I have growing in my backyard. I've had him in the same pot for almost three years, and he still hasn't grown enough for a new one!