Types of Saguaro Cacti

Unbranched

• Unbranched saguaro cacti are relatively young plants. Since it can take up to 100 years for saguaros in low-rainfall parts of the desert to branch, some people may never see a particular saguaro reach maturity. Unbranched saguaro cacti start out their lives under a nurse tree, and grow only 1 to 1½ inches in the first 8 years of life, according to the U.S. Department of the Interior. These cacti can grow extremely tall before they develop their first branches. Most saguaros branch from the ages of 50 to 70, but water shortages can keep them in a columnar shape for several additional decades.

Mature

• Saguaro cacti produce their first flowers at age 35, but aren't usually considered mature until they reach at least 125. The mature saguaro form is a tall columnar cactus with several stumpy "arms" growing from the upper half to upper third of the plant. These arms are usually the same diameter as the central column or a little smaller, and are shorter than the main part of the plant. The mature form is considered the "classic" saguaro type, and has become a symbol of the American Southwest, despite this cactus' extremely limited range.

Candelabra

• Candelabra saguaros take an unusual form. This type of saguaro has many highly branched arms that exceed the height of the central column. A candelabra saguaro may appear to have no central column, looking much like the candelabra from which it takes its name. This formation may be caused by wind or storm damage breaking off the central column, or simply by an unusual growth pattern. A saguaro must live to an extremely old age to develop this shape, given the time required to grow branches of this size.

Crested

• The unusual crested saguaro has a fanlike shape at the tip of 1 or more branches. Also called cristate saguaros, they may be the result of cold damage or a lightning strike. The crested type may also be caused by genetic mutations that predispose the cactus to an unusual growth pattern. According to the U.S. Department of the Interior, crested saguaros are rare--only about 25 have been discovered in the entirety of Saguaro National Park.