Having grown up in Abilene, TX, I instantly recognized the horned toad yard ornament in the picture to the left. However, I didn't know what the prominent feature near it was. I learned that the long, tall cactus in the bottom picture is a Saguaro, known for its efficiency, according to the Moon Handbook on Tucson. "Every part has a function. It's green skin allows for photosynthesis normally the job of leaves on less individualistic plants. Its spongy flesh and ribbed contours encourage water storage; from a single rainfall the Saguaro can collect and store up to 200 gallons of water, which is enough to get it through the year. Its telltale needles protect it from the incessant gnawing of hungry desert creatures." It even flowers in the spring!
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorMy name is Michelle Harmon, and this blog is my Arizona travelogue. Archives
March 2018
Categories
All
|