Cactus

One plant that lives in our desert is a cactus. In general, a cactus is round shaped. Instead of leaves, cacti have spines. They help shade the cactus from the sun, they cut down air currnets close to the stem, and they protect them from animals that could attempt to eat them. There are over 1600 different species of cacti in the world. They can be really small and about 0.5 inches across and can grow as tall as 60 feet. When it rains, a large cactus can take in about 210 gallons of water at one time when it rains. The Saguaros Cactus is the tallest cacti in the United States and are found only in the Sonoran Desert. Many birds find shelter in Sagauaros in the desert instead of in trees. A saguaro begins to grow its arms when it is about 50 to 100 years old. The saguaros bloom for the first time when they are about 8 feet tall.

What months do you think the Sanguaros bloom?

Sources: "Life in a Desert", "Deserts and Semideserts"