Saguaro Blossoms and Fruits
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Saguaros bloom in May and June. Their
white waxy flowers open at night and remain open for 24 hours. This
allows the flowers to be pollinated by bats and moths at night and by
bees and birds during the day. Saguaros' red fruits appear in late June
and July. (Notice the many shades of Sonoran Desert summer blue sky.)
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Since they grow on the tops of the tall cactus, it is not easy to photograph saguaro fruits and blossoms. The best situation is to find a short saguaro that's blooming or to find a trail where you can hike above the saguaro and look down its top. |
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The Tohono O'odham American Indians and their ancestors, the Hohokam, have harvested the saguaros' fruits for centuries. They use a long pole, traditionally made of a saguaro rib, to knock down the fruits that grow on the very top of the cacti. They cook the fruits to make syrup and reserve some of that syrup to ferment into the wine used in their annual rain-making ceremony.
To learn more about this tradition, read Sing Down the Rain, a children's picture book written by Judi Moreillon and illustrated by Michael Chiago. |
© 2001-2017 Judi Moreillon |