How the Saguaro giant blooms - the largest cactus on the planet

Inconspicuous, and sometimes downright unsightly cacti, surprisingly please the eye with bright and unusual flowers. True, these plants bloom extremely rarely, and some species refuse to bloom at all at home. But what happens in the wild? Many people wonder: what kind of flowers do the giant cacti that so often appear in American films where the plot unfolds in the desert have? One of these cacti is called Saguaro giant, and its flowering is a sight that is definitely worth seeing.

Carnegiea gigantea, or as Americans sometimes call it, saguaro, got its name for a reason. These cacti grow up to 18 meters, and if you look, you can find specimens 20 meters or more. The thickness of the trunk of the carnegie rarely exceeds 60 cm. The weight of the plants can reach 6 tons, while 80 percent of the trunk mass is moisture.

The plant received its scientific name in honor of the American millionaire and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie, who built the famous Carnegie Hall in New York and founded the Carnegie Institute. The cactus can be found in southeastern California, southern Arizona, and northwestern Mexico. Most of the carnegies are found in the Sonoran Desert on the border of the United States and Mexico.

Saguaro grows very slowly, especially at the initial stage. It may take 30 years for it to reach the height of an adult. Giants that have reached the 15-20 meter mark may well be one and a half centuries old. Surprisingly, many cacti grew back in the days when this part of North America was proudly called the Wild West, and remember the shootouts between settlers and Indians. Scientists have found specimens in the heart of the Sonoran Desert that were about 300 years old!

Carnegiea gigantea is protected by law. You can often hear that damaging such a cactus can lead to a prison term of up to 25 years. This is not true, although even some Americans believe in this myth. But serious troubles still threaten those who "offend" the cactus.

Shooting at cacti has long been popular among locals in Arizona. The fleshy trunk of the plant flies apart picturesquely when hit by a bullet, and some people liked it. Now the state has a law prohibiting shooting at giant cacti and chopping them down. Violators face a fine of $100,000 (8.4 million rubles). If the guilty party is not ready to pay, he faces a three-year prison term.

Carnegiea is also sometimes stolen for sale. For this purpose, small plants are chosen, approximately human height. Its price on the black market reaches $1,000 (84 thousand rubles). To combat this phenomenon, young cacti are chipped in California and Arizona. A device hidden in the fleshy trunk allows the plant to be tracked anywhere in the Western Hemisphere.

The Saguaro cactus is not only the symbol of the state of Arizona. It is the most important element of the ecosystem of the Sonoran Desert. The trunk of the plant accumulates moisture, which is used by many living creatures. The red fruits of the plant also play a huge role in the nutrition of desert inhabitants. Saguaro flowers provide nutrients to several species of hummingbirds and bees.

Here we finally get to the flowers of the giant carnegia. They are no less amazing than the plant itself and adorn the coat of arms of Arizona. The cactus blooms in May and June with large white or slightly greenish flowers. The flower has 3480 stamens and about 2000 ovules. During the day, the flowers can be seen very rarely - they are open all night, and when the scorching sun appears, they immediately close.

Early in the morning, while the flower is open, it is attacked by bees. Cactus honey is highly valued for its unusual taste and aroma. Some also note that it has a slight intoxicating effect and plunges into a state of mild euphoria. But official science is silent about this for obvious reasons, otherwise it would be necessary to chip the hives of desert bees as well.

The flowering of the giant saguaro is a fascinating spectacle that is appreciated not only by people, but also by desert dwellers. Have you ever seen cacti bloom? Maybe you have your own experience of caring for these amazing plants? Share in the comments!