What is the Saguaro cactus?
The Saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States, commonly reaching 40 feet tall; a few have attained 60 feet and one was measured at 78 feet. The Saguaro’s range is almost completely restricted to southern Arizona and western Sonora and reaches its great abundance in Arizona Upland. The Saguaro produces a fruit at the top of the cactus that is harvested in the spring by the Tohono O’odham. This Native American group traditionally harvests the saguaro fruit when it is ripe, typically starting in late June, for the Nawait I’i (Rain Ceremony) that occurs during the monsoon season. The Tohono O’odham make saguaro wine, jams, and jellies out of the fruit and have a rain feast in honor of the coming monsoon. Rain and water are very important for the Tohono O’odham because of the arid region in which they live.
