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February 13, 2006

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One of the reasons that the saguaro cactus is such a sensitive plant, is the fact that it is such a slow growing plant.
The tall saguaros in the desert are sometimes hundreds of years old. From a seed, it takes about three years just to produce a plant less than the size of a dime in diameter. Studies have indicated that a saguaro grows as slow as 1 to 1.5 inches in the first eight years of its life, and can take up to 35 years for a saguaro to produce fruit.
And it can take up to 50 to 70 years for one to grow a new branch, like the small knot on the side of this one, pictured here. Which, by that time, the plant may be about 12 feet tall.

Galixy.net