The stately Saguaro cactus, guardian of the desert, at sunset.

The Saguaro, pronounced “sah-wah-roh”, (Carnegiea gigantea) is a large, tree-sized cactus species in the monotypic genus Carnegiea. It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California, and an extremely small area of California. The saguaro blossom is the state flower of Arizona.

The Sonora Desert, outside of Tucson is the principle home of the Saguaro.

The Sonoran Desert (sometimes called the Gila Desert after the Gila River or the Low Desert in opposition to the higher Mojave Desert) is a North American desert which straddles part of the United States-Mexico border and covers large parts of the U.S. states of Arizona and California and the Mexican states of Sonora and Baja California. It is one of the largest and hottest deserts in North America, with an area of 311,000 km² (120,000 mi² ). The desert contains a variety of unique plants and animals, such as the saguaro cactus.

Pictured above: Flowering saguaro cactus.

The stately saguaro, stands guard in the desert, somewhere outside of Tucson, AZ.

by Mondoreb
Sources:
* edupix
* travelwithachallenge
* virga
* Saguaro