One of our saguaros seems to be getting new flower buds. For as long as this cactus has been blooming, the flowers have come and gone by July. Now, there are new buds as you can see in the photo below.
Here’s a closer view of the open flower:
I asked Grok “What is the normal time of year for saguaro flowers to bloom?” The answer came back as I expected it might:
Late April through mid-June, with peak bloom typically in late May to early June.
In the Sonoran Desert (including areas around Saguaro National Park and much of southern and central Arizona), saguaro (Carnegiea gigantea) flowering generally starts in the last two weeks of April. Peak flowering is usually during the last week of May through the first week of June, and blooms can continue into mid-June.
Timing is triggered by lengthening days and rising temperatures and can vary a bit by year, location, elevation, and weather. Individual flowers open at night and last less than 24 hours (remaining open into the following day).
Fruit typically ripens later (late June into early July), timed ahead of the summer monsoon rains.
So, it is quite unusual for these flowers to be opening on this one cactus. Click on either image to view enlarged.
