Crested Saguaro Upon The Saguaros — Image by kenne
Cristate or “crested” saguaros form when the cells in the growing stem begin to divide outward,
rather than in the circular pattern of a normal cactus. This is an unusual mutation that results
in the growth of a large fan-shaped crest at the growing tip of a saguaro’s main stem or arms.
West of Tucson — Panorama Image by kenne
The trail is dusty
Stirred only by our steps,
A soft breeze unable to lift
The dust above our boots
Often coming together as strangers
Sharing a love of the wild
And a desire to hear sounds
In nature’s best.
Nature walks are fine
Surrounded by experts
Who share their knowledge
Born with a feel for the moment
An eye for beauty and form
Nature speaking to the senses
Where nothing is perfect
And everything Is perfect.
— kenne
Brittlebush and Saguaro Cactus — Image by kenne
A megadrought continues in the west to make life difficult for desert plants.
Still, a common desert shrub, brittlebush, knows spring is the time to green up and bloom.
A member of the sunflower family, yet another symbol of strength during difficult times — a.k.a. Ukraine.
— kenne
Dead Saguaro In Sabino Canyon (January 15, 2014) — Image by kenne
The skin is the first to go
in the beginning protected
from the sun by a nurse tree.
This symbol of the Sonoran Desert
so slow to grow in the beginning
going unnosed for years
in the shadows of the nurse tree.
We teach children about this icon
by having the guess the age
of a saguago based on its heigh.
— kenne
Snow On The Peaks Above Sabino Canyon — Image by
We are blessed to live on this beautiful planet.
Yet, most people don’t show any gratitude.
Benedicto
– Edward Abbey
Nurse Tree for Four Saguaros In Sabino Canyon — HDR Image by kenne
― from In Your Garden Again by
Pincushion Cactus Flowers — Image by kenne
When most people think of cactus in the Sonoran Desert, the image that comes to mind is the giant saguaro cactus.
The saguaro grows only in the Sonoran Desert is one of the largest cacti. The saguaro cactus is a symbol of the American Southwest.
Its inner meaning expresses the idea of standing tall, adapting to the environment, and providing shelter and nourishment for others.
Given its stature and authority, it holds a grandfatherly type of wisdom.
Because saguaros are so common in the Tucson area, it is home to one of this nation’s national parks, the Saguaro National Park.
However, it is not the most common cactus in the Sonoran Desert. That honor goes to the little pincushion cactus.
Being so small and often in the shadows of the giant saguaro, their chances of being noticed are slim unless they are blooming.
— kenne
Springtime In The Sonoran Desert — Image by kenne
This saguaro has grown under the protection of a mesquite tree serving as a nurse tree.
This spring the cactus is loaded with flower buds, many of which a beginning to bloom.
— kenne
Budding Season For Saguaro Cactus (Sabino Canyon) — Images by kenne
Northern Mockingbird On Saguaro Blossom — Photo-Artistry by kenne
“The Early Bird Gets the Nectar” (White-winged Dove on Saguaro Cactus Buds) — Image by kenne
In April, the budding of saguaros is followed by the return of white-winged doves from Mexico who love the nectar in
the saguaro blossoms. This image captures a white-winged dove atop buds soon to blossom — another take on
“The early bird gets the worm.”
— kenne
Picacio Peak State Park — Image by kenne
“In 1848, the Mormon Battalion constructed a wagon road through Picacho Pass. The forty-niners on their way
to California used this road. In the late 1850’s the Butterfield Overland Stage was carrying passengers through
this area. Picacho Peak’s most noted historic event occurred on April 15, 1862, when Confederate and Union
scouting parties met in the Battle of Picacho Pass during the Civil War. This was the largest Civil War clash to
take place in Arizona.” — Source: azstateparks.com
Saguaros On My Mind — Images by kenne
— kenne
Twin Saguaros — Image by kenne
If I Was the One
who took another
path I couldn’ say.
Cries in the wind.
Blanks among trees.
— Windy Barker
Saguaros In the Morning Haze (02-04-13) — Image by kenne
— kenne
Becoming is Superior to Being 