Crested Saguaro
Today I took the morning off to do a hike with Diane and friend Susan. I did this mostly because other caving-related conservation work on recent and future weekends has made it impossible for me to go hiking with my wife. Since she hikes with Susan on Fridays, I decided to join them.
We went to Tucson Mountain Park, on the west side of Tucson, to do one of the more well known trails. The photo to the right, taken by Diane back in 2016, shows the spectacular crested saguaro she discovered in plain site on that hike but had gone unnoticed by us for years.
Everyone knows saguaros for their classic western look that makes it the state wildflower of Arizona. Normally they have a central post that sometimes has one or more arms extending from it. For normal saguaros the tops of the central post and the arms are almost always symmetrical and rounded.
However, in rare cases (about 1 in 10,000) something strange happens and a saguaro begins to grow wildly at its peak, or even along its entire length. Such freaks are called crested or cristate saguaros, and only about 2,200 have been found throughout the saguaro range in the southwest. When you find one it is always with a sense of triumph and wonder.
We began to look for crested saguaros during hikes around 2015, after a friend had shown us two on a nearby hike that we had done frequently without ever noticing this wonder of nature that was right before our eyes. Thus Diane’s discovery to the right in 2016. Today we went back on that same hike and found it again. It had not changed in any way in the past four years that I could tell when comparing pictures. Regardless, it is one of the wildest crested saguaros I’ve ever seen.
No one really knows why this happens. My theory today, in looking at this one, is that it was on drugs.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
Today I took the morning off to do a hike with Diane and friend Susan. I did this mostly because other caving-related conservation work on recent and future weekends has made it impossible for me to go hiking with my wife. Since she hikes with Susan on Fridays, I decided to join them.
We went to Tucson Mountain Park, on the west side of Tucson, to do one of the more well known trails. The photo to the right, taken by Diane back in 2016, shows the spectacular crested saguaro she discovered in plain site on that hike but had gone unnoticed by us for years.
Everyone knows saguaros for their classic western look that makes it the state wildflower of Arizona. Normally they have a central post that sometimes has one or more arms extending from it. For normal saguaros the tops of the central post and the arms are almost always symmetrical and rounded.
However, in rare cases (about 1 in 10,000) something strange happens and a saguaro begins to grow wildly at its peak, or even along its entire length. Such freaks are called crested or cristate saguaros, and only about 2,200 have been found throughout the saguaro range in the southwest. When you find one it is always with a sense of triumph and wonder.
We began to look for crested saguaros during hikes around 2015, after a friend had shown us two on a nearby hike that we had done frequently without ever noticing this wonder of nature that was right before our eyes. Thus Diane’s discovery to the right in 2016. Today we went back on that same hike and found it again. It had not changed in any way in the past four years that I could tell when comparing pictures. Regardless, it is one of the wildest crested saguaros I’ve ever seen.
No one really knows why this happens. My theory today, in looking at this one, is that it was on drugs.
On Christmas Eve 1968 three Americans became the first humans to visit another world. What they did to celebrate was unexpected and profound, and will be remembered throughout all human history. Genesis: the Story of Apollo 8, Robert Zimmerman's classic history of humanity's first journey to another world, tells that story, and it is now available as both an ebook and an audiobook, both with a foreword by Valerie Anders and a new introduction by Robert Zimmerman.
The print edition can be purchased at Amazon or from any other book seller. If you want an autographed copy the price is $60 for the hardback and $45 for the paperback, plus $8 shipping for each. Go here for purchasing details. The ebook is available everywhere for $5.99 (before discount) at amazon, or direct from my ebook publisher, ebookit. If you buy it from ebookit you don't support the big tech companies and the author gets a bigger cut much sooner.
The audiobook is also available at all these vendors, and is also free with a 30-day trial membership to Audible.
"Not simply about one mission, [Genesis] is also the history of America's quest for the moon... Zimmerman has done a masterful job of tying disparate events together into a solid account of one of America's greatest human triumphs."--San Antonio Express-News
There’s a rather spectacular crested saguaro along a hiking trail just north of Phoenix, in the Seven Springs area of the Tonto National Forest. I haven’t been there recently, but it was still there at least 4 years ago.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/musematt11/505381100/in/photolist-7Pw7x6-7Pw7JX-7Pw7n6-7PA5Jb-7Pw7fe-4X54E9-LEd5y-LEnj4-LEdcf#
A more modest one is on display at the trailhead by the McDowell Mountain Sonoran Preserve near Scottsdale. It had been recovered from “poachers”, and replanted there in 2006.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/musematt11/4476665630/in/photolist-7Pw7x6-7Pw7JX-7Pw7n6-7Pw7fe-7PA5Jb-4X54E9-LEd5y-LEdcf-LEnj4
Fungal or bacterial infections are causes of witches’ broom type of abnormal growth on trees. The Alberta Spruce is an example of such being vegatatively reproduced, although sometimes a branch will revert to normal. I suspect this is the case with the cactus.
They have one of these in the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix. I highly recommend a visit there.
“My theory today, in looking at this one, is that it was on drugs.”
Any peyote cacti nearby?
Sturgill Simpson –
Turtles All The Way Down
2014
https://youtu.be/6gBV-Nzq7Pg
3:05
I nominate this pic for the “Cool Image Time” Club.
Thanks Diane for the pic and Mr. Z for the lesson.
Decades ago, I took an ecology class in which the instructor described the saguaro as technically a tree, meaning that when a desert with many of these plants in it is technically a forest. Imagine that, a desert forest!
Since then, I have heard that the saguaro is only tree-like, which suggests that these parts of the desert are only forest-like. Not quite as imaginative as my instructor’s description, but fun nonetheless.
It certainly looks like a cactus…. The very definition of how we Europeans view the dust bowl of the US… ( Blame bugs bunny and roadrunner!!! )
Is it actually a cactus?
I know I could google.it, but I’m sure the insight from asking here will be more informative and entertaining!
Lee S: You are exhibiting a level of laziness here that deserves no help, and a lot of derision. I provided links in the post that explains all. You can’t even click on those?
Bob…. I am taking a glass of wine, and enjoying the 20 minutes I have between putting my kids to bed, and putting myself to bed. Yes, I am perfectly capable of clicking links, and I do know how to Google, but as I actually said, I was expecting something more fun and personal from the good readership of your blog.
It is unfortunate that the first response I get is a spot of abuse from your good self.
My request was made in light humour, perhaps my humour doesn’t come across too well in translation.. it wouldn’t be the first time, but don’t worry… I will research this mildly interesting topic for myself… Heaven forbid I be judged as lazy. ;-)
Lee S: I work hard to provide people my sources, which also provide a lot of additional cool information. I thus hope you understand my irritation by your question, when I already provided the answer, in the very post you were commenting on.
In fact, I provided you a perfect way to fill that break time, with your wine. I hope you use it, and enjoy.
Bob….. You know I appreciate the service you provide with this blog, I respect and admire your knowledge and the research you do, to feed us unwashed masses tidbits of information from the last frontier, and although we don’t see eye to eye on politics, (to say the least! :-) ) I return day after day to read, learn, and occasionally comment on the topics you post.
It was not my intention to wind you up, even tho according to my ex wife I am good at winding anything up apart from the clock.
I wish you a peaceful evening, and promise to be less needy and more clicky in the future!
“Road Runner Theme”
Barbara Cameron
The Cape Coral Jazz Festival 2013
https://youtu.be/2jtwgg5vEaE
2:40
Robert, Have you ever met Don Lancaster?
https://www.tinaja.com/
Edward_2: Yup. Local caver of some note. Gave a talk at a Arizona caving event a few years ago about his work on the hanging canals. And he has been a source of information for me for some of the caves in this area.