In another of the U.S.A. National Parks, Memorials and Monuments series, today’s park is located in the desert southwest. In fact, some say the plant that gives this park its’ name epitomizes the American Southwest. It not only epitomizes the land, it personifies the people who have lived on the land. See the silhouette of these cacti in the desert from a distance and you would swear you see a band of cowboys, their long arms stretching out around a campfire. Justly, the saguaro cactus has become the perfect metaphor, symbol, and icon of the American West – a plant as rugged and perfect for the land as the whale is to the sea.
Saguaro (suh·waa·row) cacti provide many uses in this ecosystem. They provide a habitat of shade, shelter, nests, fruit food and water. They have no problem with the heat and dryness of the desert. They impress with their up-to 66 feet of height. They are a plant like no other, and that is why they are loved. However, do not try to hug these cacti. Their thorns are something else indeed.