Saguaro Cactus Project

The photo, at left, is of several saguaro cacti which have been grown by my mother for the past 11 years on the window sill in her kitchen. The plants originally started as seeds in a package much like the one pictured.
The photo, at right, by Judy Hedding, is of a giant saguaro cactus at home in the desert.

The saguaro cactus is the image we all associate with the desert. The saguaro (the "guar" is pronounced "war") is found only in portions of Arizona and California. The cactus, which grows very slowly, may achieve a height of 50 feet and live for 200 years.

11 years ago, my brothers visited Scottsdale. They bought a package of saguaro cactus seeds for our mom as a souvenir. Mom,by the way, can grow anything. Her thumb is one of the "greenest" I know. She dutifully planted those seeds and they germinated. The plants were so very tiny. They grew so very slowly. She has cherished, nurtured, and protected those cacti for the past 11 years. She has told us she must return them to the desert from which they came.

As luck would have it, her grandson has settled in Scottsdale, where he works as a pharmacist. He is getting married there this fall. Mom and dad are going to the wedding with my brother and me. She is eager to take her pot of cacti with her to plant them in the desert. I am anxious for her to come full circle with her 11 year endeavor. I have contacted an organization in Scottsdale about the possibility of having the cacti planted in a conservancy. I don't want to her plant those cacti in just any old plot of desert sand. I wish for them to be as protected and cherished as they have been for the past 11 years. I'll let you know how this project progresses in the weeks ahead.