Saguaros are blooming! 8 facts about saguaro blossoms (2024)

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Saguaro flowers are often described as having a pungently sweet melon scent.Batsand other wildlife can't get enough.

5. It's the official state flower of Arizona

The brilliant saguaro bloom was designatedArizona's state flowerin 1931.

It joins the ranks of other Arizona state symbols including the cactus wren, turquoise and the bola tie.

6. They turn into fruit

Once a saguaro flower has been pollinated, it matures into fruit that splits open when ripened — revealing bright red pulp.

Each piece of fruit contains about 2,000 small black seeds, according to the Desert Museum.

7. The fruit is edible

The Tohono O'odham have long harvested saguaro fruit. TheNational Park Servicesays, "The harvesting of saguaro fruit by the TohonoO’odham is a centuries-old practice of subsistence, religion, and reaffirmation of their relationship with their traditional environment."

Many native plants, including saguaros, areprotected by law. To harvest on private property, you'll need permission from the landowner. If you're on public land, go to the government entity involved to verify if you can harvest.

Saguaro fruit is typically harvested from mid-June through July. The fruit is also a source of food for many desert critters including birds, bats, tortoises, javelinas and coyotes, according to the Desert Museum.

8. You can find blooms all over the desert

You’re apt to see saguaro blooms almost anywhere throughout the Tucson area, from random sidewalks and intersections to desert wonderlands like Saguaro National Park.