June 15, 2009 © Thomas J. Kollenborn. All Rights Reserved.
A large
saguaro cactus formerly located near Horseshoe Lake was believed to be
the largest in Arizona. This forty-six foot giant crashed and burned
recently. This giant was known as the “Grand One.” According to Todd
Willard, Tonto National Forest wildlife biologist, this giant cactus
fell in the summer of 2007, some two years after it was scorched in the
Cave Creek Complex Fire. Forest service biologists have varying theories
about what killed the “Grand One.” It could have been fire, wind,
disease, old age, lightning or a combination of these factors. The lower
arms of the cactus were singed during the Cave Creek Complex Fire. The
cactus was estimated to be between 150 and 200 years old. This old
cactus appeared to have survived the fire with little damage.
The National Registry of Big Trees
listed the “Grand One” as Arizona’s largest saguaro cactus along with a
co-title holder in Pinal County near Mammoth. The saguaro in Pinal
County near Mammoth is relatively short in comparison at thirty-two feet
tall. The girth of this particular cactus is nine feet and it has a
spread of arms that encompasses some sixteen feet.
Ken Morrow of Patagonia, state
coordinator of the Arizona Register of Big Trees, said that a fifty-four
foot saguaro in the Superstition Wilderness Area east of Apache
Junction has now been nominated as the state’s tallest cactus.
What may now be Arizona’s largest
saguaro cactus may be located in the Superstition Wilderness Area. I am
guessing, but the cactus I am thinking about would be over forty feet. I
believe it has some forty-two arms and the girth of main trunk is about
sixteen feet. This giant cactus is located about six miles from Don
Camp or the Peralta trail head. I have been riding by this giant saguaro
since 1955. I even visited the site in the late 1940’s. Over all these
years the old cactus has changed very little. I do remember in the mid
1980s we counted the arms on the cactus and if I recalled correctly it
had forty-two arms that were a foot or more long.
The approximate GPS coordinates of this
cactus is W 111* 20.140” N 33* 26.060”. The cactus is located just off
the Bluff Springs Mountain trail shortly after leaving the canyon going
north toward La Barge Canyon. The cactus is located on the left hand
side of the trail if you are walking northeast. If you are planning a
hike into the area I would wait until next fall for cooler weather.
The saguaro cactus is the largest cactus
specie in Arizona. Its’ blossoms are the state flower. The cactus is
often known as the sentinel of the desert. The Native Americans use the
saguaro for food and utilitarian purposes. The long rib skeleton can be
used to build shelter, fencing and to make harvesting tools. The fruit
of the saguaro produces a juice that, when fermented, becomes an
important alcoholic drink for Native American. The drink is often used
in religious ceremonies and other occasions.
Actually the saguaro is a very rare
plant native only to the Sonoran Desert of Arizona, California and
northern Mexico. Residents of Arizona think they are abundant because
they see them so often along highways. Thousands of saguaros died from
exposure to frost in recent years during extra cold winters on the
desert. Large saguaros don’t have much of a life expectancy because of
birds, insects, fire, lightning, and humans. Humans are probably the
most hazardous animal to saguaros. They often shoot them for target
practice and push them over to develop land.
Oh yes, there are state laws that
protect saguaros, however there are few people to enforce these laws. A
drive out to Needle Vista on the Apache Trail and then a short walk to
the end of the concrete sidewalk or trail will demonstrate this point.
The most ignorant of our species continue to shoot saguaros for target
practice. This small saguaro at the end of the trail demonstrates one
the most common causes that destroy these magnificent plants. The giant
saguaro east of Bluff Springs Mountain will probably survive for a
couple more decades before lightning, wind or fire will bring it
crashing down to the earth. For the time being this plant probably
stands as one of tallest saguaros in Arizona.
I am not
an authority on the saguaro cactus, therefore my estimated height could
be inaccurate. I computed the height of this cactus based on my height
and distance from the cactus. Credit to Arizona Republic, Peter Corbett,
for his excellent article on “The End of a ‘Grand One.”