My hubby and I are excited that our saguaro in the front yard has it's first flower. It was 10 ft tall when we put it in. About a year and a half ago it started growing this bump out the top of it. Now it has grown more and looks funny. My hubby thinks it will be an arm. It is fun to witness the journey. Saguaro's grow pretty slowly. Since I live in the foothills of the McDowell Mountains in the desert, Saguaro's are a very BIG deal here.After 15 years, the saguaro may be barely a foot tall. At about 30 years saguaros begin to flower and produce fruit. By 50 years the saguaro can be as tall as 7 feet. After about 75 years on average, it may sprout its first branches, or "arms". The branches begin as prickly balls, then extend out and upward.
Saguaro branches always grow upwards. By 100 years the saguaro may have reached 25 feet. An adult saguaro is generally considered to be about 125 years of age. Saguaros that live 150 years or more attain the grandest sizes, towering as high as 50 feet or more and weighing 10 tons, sometimes more, dwarfing every other living thing in the desert.
wow....
~Dawn
