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saguaro

plant
Also known as: Carnegiea gigantea, Cereus giganteus, giant cactus, sahuaro(Show More)

saguaro, (Carnegiea gigantea), large cactus species (family Cactaceae), native to Mexico and to Arizona and California in the United States. The fruits are an important food of American Indians, who also use the woody saguaro skeletons. Ecologically, the plants provide protective nesting sites for many species of desert birds, and the flowers are an important source of nectar for pollinating birds, insects, and bats. Ribbed and columnar, a saguaro usually develops five or six branches...