Saguaro Sunstar

Description

Saguaro cacti can take over 70 years before they start to grow their ‘arms’. Many of the estimated 1.8 million saguaros in the National Park have been here long before us and will survive long after.

Here we see a very mature saguaro at the peak of sunset. The sun is about to dip below the mountains, creating an amazing starburst effect. The southwestern sky turns a stunning shade of red to purple. The sun’s rays shine into the desert foreground, bending around the cactus, illuminating the desert floor and making the cholla glow.