Saguaro cactus flowers, Coronado National Forest, Arizona

© Jack Dykinga/Minden Picture

The desert blooms

It's getting to be wildflower season in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. That means it won't be long before we see blooms from the big daddy of the cactus world—the saguaro. Our homepage pic shows just a glimpse of this amazing succulent. The saguaro is the largest of them all, with some of the oldest specimens reaching more than 50 feet tall. It can hold huge amounts of water—after plentiful rains when it's fully hydrated, a saguaro can weigh between 3,200 and 4,800 pounds. In the right conditions, it will live more than 100 years, growing arms as it ages, creating that classic cactus profile that's associated with the desert and Old West.

As for the saguaro's flowers, they're short-lived, typically blooming at dusk and remaining open till midmorning the next day. The flowers form only at the top of the plant and the tips of branches. The blooms are striking enough to be honored as Arizona's state flower. Later they'll produce a red, edible fruit that will ripen by July.