It’s So Hot in Arizona That Giant Cactuses Are Collapsing
The blistering heat wave making its way across the country has caused giant cactuses in Arizona to collapse.
As temperatures near Phoenix soared to over 110 degrees Fahrenheit for the third week in a row, the area's saguaro cactuses have begun losing arms, tilting to the side and even collapsing entirely.
According to officials, the near month-long heat wave and lack of rain are to blame for the damage done to certain plant populations.
"These plants are adapted to this heat, but at some point the heat needs to cool down and the water needs to come," Tania Hernandez, a research scientist with the Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix, told Reuters.
Arizona's saguaro cacti, a symbol of the US West, are leaning, losing arms and in some cases falling over during the state's record streak of extreme heat, a scientist said https://t.co/1CdLh9RAsz pic.twitter.com/OgPeVa9tNt
— Reuters (@Reuters) July 26, 2023
"We still don’t know if this is related to extreme heat and drought due to climate change, but we suspect that is the case," Hernandez added.
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The saguaro cactus can grow to be over 40 feet tall, are the largest species of the plant found in the Southwest and are estimated to have a lifetime of 150 to 175 years. Over time, they've become an iconic symbol of the American desert and are known to grow only in the Sonoran Desert of America and Mexico.
As Arizona State Parks explained last week, the saguaro cactuses utilize "15-20 woody ribs that support the immense weight of the columnar cactus as it soaks up and stores water."
Have you ever seen the interior of a saguaro? 🌵 Ranger Kira at Picacho Peak State Park shared this cool video, in case you forgot your x-ray vision goggles. 😎 Saguaros have 15-20 woody ribs that support the immense weight of the columnar cactus as it soaks up and stores water. pic.twitter.com/N3rncMwZFq
— Arizona State Parks (@AZStateParks) July 17, 2023
But without the rain brought by storms or mist received from systems passing in the overnight, saguaro cactuses forced to withstand prolonged heat can suffer internal damage or, worse, completely wither away from exposure.
The Desert Botanical Garden recommends those who live in a region where saguaro cactuses grow naturally (or plant parents looking to keep the massive succulent alive) water the saguaro well around the base of the plant about once a month by running a hose "with a trickle of water for four-six hours," as this will allow the water to reach deep into the soil where the bulk of the roots are.
As if the triple-digit temperatures and damaged cactuses weren't bad enough, the plants aren't the only things getting scorched by the heat, as Parade previously reported, Arizona residents have landed in the hospital, reporting "significant and sometimes life-threatening burns" from slipping outside.
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