Arizona State Flower: The Incredible Saguaro Cactus Flower
Carnegiea Gigantea, better known as the Saguaro Cactus Flower, is one of the most unique state flowers in the United States.
If you plan your trip to Marana right, you’ll find yourself in one of the best seasons in our area—saguaro cactus flower blooming season. You’ll have to prepare for the heat, but the sight of Arizona’s state flower is worth it!
Saguaro cactus flowers are more than just a pretty sight with their funnel shape growing up to 40 feet in the air—they are a fruit-bearing native plant important to Indigenous peoples for thousands of years. In some years, we're treated to unsual blooming seasons that have us all talking like this one in 2021.
The official scientific name for these white beauties is Carnegiea gigantea. Did you know the saguaro cacti’s scientific name is actually in honor of Andrew Carnegie? The Philanthropist was a supporter of botanical research and initially didn’t want the giant cactus named in his honor. He relented, but the fact was a secret until after his death.
Before we go much further, we should make sure you know how to say saguaro correctly. It’s pronounced sah-WAHR-oh. Once you get that right, you’ll fit right in with the locals.
Cactus Flower Peak Blossoming
During peak blossoming, which happens in May, each individual white flower opens and closes within about 24 hours.
A single cactus may be loaded with scores of blossoms, crowning the fingertips of the iconic saguaro cactus arms.
The flowers are pollinated by birds, bees, and bats. Saguaro cacti are distributed like trees, as both singular specimens and as a forest, carpeting miles of National Park and the surrounding natural open space areas in the region around Saguaro National Park.
Numerous blooms open each day on one cactus, creating an exotic display that occurs nowhere else outside of the Sonoran Desert. Saguaro flowers start to blossom in the first week of May and continue through about the first week of June. Learn about the Saguaro Flower Power Project at Saguaro National Park here.
Harvesting of Saguaro Fruit
But stick around, because June is when the delicate white blossoms that have been pollinated develop into deep ruby-red fruits.
These fruits will be eaten by birds, bats, and those dedicated few persons who harvest them at the peak of summer heat, usually just weeks before the monsoon rains arrive and cool the desert down.
Saguaro fruit harvesting is a tradition that has been practiced for thousands of years by the Native American peoples of the Sonoran Desert. The tradition continues today.
The fruits are gently knocked off the cactus with a special pole that is traditionally made from saguaro cactus ribs. The ribs are nearly as hard as a hardwood and are used for roofing support material, rafters, fences, walls, and furniture.
The fruits are cooked and strained into a fine and thick syrup with sugar added for preservation. The syrup can be used as it is or made into jam.
Saguaro Fruit Flavor & Uses
The flavor is similar to plum and raspberry, with deeper textures and flavors.
Where can you taste this incredible fruit? Saguaro fruit is not commercially produced. You can find it on occasion at farmers markets and on menus at local restaurants
Where to Experience Saguaro Cactus Flowers
Plan a long stay at the White Stallion Ranch, the highest-rated guest ranch in the United States, which abuts Saguaro National Park, and take guided horse rides through the blooming landscape. If you have only an hour to a couple of days during peak saguaro bloom, drop in at the Red Hills Visitor Center at Saguaro National Park West. You'll be forever changed by this flower.
Sources: The Fascinating History Behind The Latin Name Of The Saguaro Cactus – Necps, National Park Service
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