Easy hike in lush Arizona desert preserve has a botanical garden feel. Here s how to do it Mare Czinar
The saguaro cactus is the iconic plant of the Sonoran Desert.
It thrives in warm, low-desert areas and its creamy white blooms are Arizona s official state flower. Growing up to 50 feet tall with lifespans of 150-200 years, the signature cactus takes on many forms. It exists as a single column or a many-armed giant, and it sometimes develops an elaborate contorted crest.
In the sandy washes of the Tortolita Preserve in Marana, the elegant branching specimens are known as candelabra saguaros.