Saguaro - Carnegiea gigantea

• 13 Jan, 2010
• 7 likes

The ribs of the saguaro were used for construction and other purposes by Native Americans. The 3-inch, oval, green fruit ripens just before the fall rainy season, splitting open to reveal the bright-red, pulpy flesh, which all desert creatures seem to relish. This fruit was an especially important food source to Native Americans of the region who used the flesh, seeds and juice.

There is a National Park established just to protect the Saguaro Cactus (it was beginning to disappear from the landscape) located in Arizona (Saguaro National Park)