What does a saguaro cactus bloom look like?

Saguaros have dramatic creamy-white flowers. The blossoms of saguaros open at night and close the following midday or afternoon. Although individual flowers last only a day, a single saguaro can produce blooms for weeks. Hedgehog cacti typically bloom earlier in April with vibrant magenta flowers.

Does saguaro cactus bloom flowers?

Saguaro flowering begins around the last two weeks of April, and peak flowering occurs during the last week of May through the first week in June. Saguaro flowering is triggered by winter rain as well as the increased day length, and warmer temperatures of spring.

How long does a saguaro cactus take to flower?

Cultivated Saguaros Seedling saguaros can reach 6 inches tall in three years and can bloom in just 15 to 20 years.

What is the size of the saguaro cactus blossom?

Flowers grow 8.6–12.4 cm (3.4–4.9 in) long, and are open for less than 24 hours. Since they form only at the top of the plant and the tips of branches, saguaros growing numerous branches is reproductively advantageous.

What color are saguaro cactus blooms?

white
Saguaro flowers are usually found near the tops of the stems and arms of the cactus. They are white in color about 3 inches (8cm) in diameter. They emit a strong smell, sort of like overripe melons.

What time of year do the cactus bloom in Arizona?

spring
The greatest diversity of spring-blooming species can be seen in April. The cactus show continues as the abundant prickly pears bloom in early May, followed by saguaros from mid May to mid June.

Do saguaro cactus have red flowers?

The “red flowers” that now grace these monarchs of the desert are actually the fruits of the giant saguaro which have split open to offer the animals of this desert world their bounty of nutritious pulp and seeds. …

How long do saguaro flowers last?

The flowers open at night and last one day only, fading and closing the following afternoon to be replaced by others from late April through early June. During the flowers’ short life, they provide food for bees, bats and doves, who in turn pollinate the flowers.

How old is a 3 foot saguaro?

Slow growing, saguaros in the wild can take 30 years to reach a height of 3 feet. The first flowers appear when the plant is about 8 feet tall (40-75 years), the first arms when the saguaro is between 50 and 100 years of age.

Why do saguaro cactus flowers open at night?

Saguaro flowers bloom for less than 24 hours. They open at night and remain open through the next day. They only have that very short time to attract an animal to be pollinated.

What color are saguaro cactus blossoms?

Are saguaro cactus self pollinating?

The saguaro can only be fertilized by cross-pollination — pollen from a different cactus. The sweet nectar, together with the color of the flower, attracts birds, bats and insects, which in acquiring the nectar, pollinate the saguaro flower.

Where is the saguaro cactus blooming?

A saguaro is blooming by the Salt River. The image shows a portion of the Salt River in Arizona running below desert cliffs with a Saguaro cactus in bloom in the Saguaro Cactus Blooming.

Where are the Ocotillo cactus in Bloom?

Ocotillo are blooming in Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona Saguaro in Bloom. A close up of a blooming saguaro cactus with a prickly pear cactus growing in it Saguaro Cactus in bloom. A close up of a blooming saguaro cactus in the arizona desert

What is blooming in Master Saguaro National Park?

Master Saguaro Stands Tall. The slopes above Roosevelt Lake near Tonto National Monument, glisten in the early spring sunshine, trimmed with blooming wildflowers Ocotillo flower in Saguaro National Park. Ocotillo are blooming in Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona Saguaro in Bloom.