Nothing “says” Desert like Cactus

Stenocereus thurberi, or the organ pipe ?

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

Gilla Bend,AZ
USAFAF, FamCamp
7 Dec 2017

The drive south was a short 70 miles through a couple of small towns, one of which was names “Why”. Which seemed to be a very good question considering we were in the middle of no where.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is in extreme southern Arizona that shares a border with the Mexican state of Sonora. The park is the only place in the United States where the organ pipe cactus grows wild. Along with organ pipe, many other types of cacti and other desert flora native to the Yuma Desert section of the Sonoran Desert region grow in the park. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is 517 square miles.
In 2002 a Border Patrol Officer was shot and killed while chasing a cartel hit squad, prompting park officials to close nearly 70 percent of the monument in 2003. The “most dangerous national park” was closed to the public from 2003 to 2014. Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, on the southern Arizona border, once saw a steady flow of immigrants – and drug runners – from Mexico. Where is the “wall”?

Ajo Mountain Drive is the most popular scenic drive in the monument. It is a 21 mile loop around the park, mostly gravel road. It took us almost 4 hours to drive the loop. We had a blast  driving slow, and naming the cactus for their various shapes, such as the “Jimmie Durante” (see if you see him in the following pictures).  We parked and walked around alot  to see various plants up close. We packed a lunch and stopped at a covered picnic table for lunch at the halfway point, while using the binoculars to check out the cactus and mountains.

We had a great time.

Oh yeah, remember, it takes about 60 years before a Saguaro cactus begins to grow its arms….

Several narrow stems rise vertically, growing from a single short trunk just above the ground level. These stems are about 6 inches thick and grow to a height of 16 feet, however it has been known to reach 23 to 26 feet. These stems rarely branch but rather grow annually from the tip of the last growth. The mature plant can reach a width of 12 feet.  It takes 150 years to reach maturity. The older plants produce three-inch funnel-shaped white flowers annually which are open at night and close by the morning and have a purple or pink tint to them. These usually grow during April, May, and June. The organ pipe cactus is usually pollinated by bats. The plant also produces fruit about the size of a tennis ball. Beneath the fruit’s spiny exterior is red flesh that has been described as tasting better than watermelon.