World Plants Logo

search the world

Tropicals > Carnegiea > Carnegiea gigantea > Carnegiea gigantea

Carnegiea gigantea


Saguaro




Origin:  It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, United States of America and the Mexican state of Sonora.
Family
Cactaceae
Genus
Carnegiea
Species
gigantea
Category
Tropicals
Type
Tree (evergreen)
USDA Hardiness Zone
8a - 11
Canadian Hardiness Zone
Cool season protection required under glass.
Temperature (°C)
-12 - 5
Temperature (°F)
10 - 40
Height
12 - 21 m
Spread
3 - 5 m
Photographs
Description and Growing Information
Flowering Period
AprilMayJune
Landscape
Desert gardens and container planting.
Cultivation
Full sun. Moist and well-drained soils with a pH of 6.1 - 7.8 (mildly acidic, neutral and mildly alkaline). Drought tolerant.
Shape
Upright and rounded.
Growth
Slow
Habitat
It is native to the Sonoran Desert in Arizona, United States of America and the Mexican state of Sonora.
Bark/Stem Description
The trunk bears dense, strong and thick spines.
Flower Description
The flowers open well after sunset and close in mid-afternoon. Flowers are self-incompatible.
Fruit Description
The fruit is 6 - 9 cm long and ripen in June. Each fruit contains 2000 seeds and sweet fleshy connective tissue.
Colour Description
The flowers are white. The fruit is red.
Notable Specimens
Desert Botanical Gardens, Phoenix, Arizona, United States of America.
Propagation
Seed.
Ethnobotanical Uses (Disclaimer)
The fruit is edible and prized by local people. The ribs were used for construction and other purposes by Native Americans.
goToTop
top