Saguaro National Park

This picture taken on Cactus Forest Drive, a eight (8) mile one way loop through the scenic area of Saguaro National Park in Tucson, Arizona.  The saguaro is a large tree-size cactus, native to the Sonoran Desert, which can grow from 40 to 60 feet tall.  Their growth patterns are very similar to the Joshua Tree in that they only grow vertical the first years of their life and then grow their arms to increase the plant's reproductive capacity.  Their growth rate is solely dependent on the amount of precipitation that falls in the area.