Saguaro Flowers

Springtime in the desert is a stunning scene! As temperatures soar into the 90’s, the poppies and lupine of early spring are quickly replaced by flowering cacti. Among these cacti are the massive saguaros, the icon of our beautiful Sonoran Desert. Their thick bodies offer refuge to a number of birds, following the oh-so-common excavations of gila woodpeckers. The flowers offer nectar and pollen to untold numbers of birds and insects. The fruit feeds many more creatures, especially after falling to the ground where it’s within reach of javelina, coyotes, and rodents. Even in death, the mighty saguaro holds moisture which contains entire ecosystems, while reptiles hide underneath to escape the intense daytime heat. Saguaro Nat Park, AZ.