Saguaros Gone Wild

Everybody knows saguaro cactuses have arms. The classic cartoon version has two symmetrical ones; real ones typically sport up to a half-dozen or so. But occasionally, some kind of genetic defect causes a cactus to sprout arms like crazy! Here are a few especially odd ones that I have come across in my travels in the Arizona desert.

Desert Wells Multiuse Area, Arizona

Thanks to Rick Scott for giving me directions to this giant; he counted at least 62 arms. Rick also estimated the height at 39 feet -- very tall but not a record-holder (see my mountain bike for scale).
Directions: Near Florence Junction, within the Desert Wells Multiuse Area; just off of Route # 26, approximately 1/4 mile southwest of the intersection of Routes # 1 and 2. GPS coordinates for the saguaro: 33d 15.282m, 111d 26.576m. Warning: The cactus is several miles away from the paved road; do not attempt to locate it unless you have a well-equipped, high-clearance four-wheel-drive vehicle, the Desert Wells Multiuse Area map, a State Trust Land permit (required), and good route-finding skills or a GPS unit.
Last Visited: October 2008.

Update March 2011:
I have been notified that this cactus is no longer standing; it collapsed sometime between March and October 2010. Thanks to Cordell H. for the tip.

Florence Junction, Arizona

Directions: A couple hundred yards north of E. El Camino Viejo, north of Florence Junction.
Last Visited: July 2011.

Phoenix, Arizona

Directions: In the front yard of a house in south Phoenix.
Last Visited: April 2011.

Hog Canyon, Arizona

I didn't notice this cactus at the time I took the photo; I discovered it later while looking at the telephoto image of hundreds of saguaros on a distant hillside.
Directions: Hog Canyon is a rough off-trail hike in the Superstition Wilderness; the trailhead is one mile west of the Hieroglyphic Spring Trailhead. The hillside with the cactus is on the left as the wash enters the canyon.
Last Visited: December 2006.

Scottsdale, Arizona

I'm not sure if this is a saguaro or a related variety of cactus, but its tightly-clustered multiple arms caught my eye as I was driving by.
Directions: In the front yard of a private residence.
Last Visited: July 2009.

Mesa, Arizona

Likewise, I'm not sure if this is technically a saguaro, but it's sprouting countless ball-shaped arms.
Directions: Baseline Towers shopping center, 2602 W. Baseline Rd.
Last Visited: December 2009.

Southern Arizona

Golden-Arm Saguaro

This saguaro is normally shaped, but has two arms that are a bright yellow color instead of green. I've looked at literally millions of saguaros in my travels, and this is the only one I've ever seen with this yellow coloring. Cactuses with non-uniform coloration are known as variegated cactuses. Variegation is due to a rare mutation wherein the plant's meristematic tissue loses the ability to produce cholorplasts, causing a lack of chlorophyll in the epidermis. The discoloration usually ocurrs in irregular blotches; for a complete arm to be discolored like this is very rare.
Directions: Undisclosed to prevent vandalism. Thanks to Phil K. for directing me to this cactus.
Last Visited: January 2012.

Standard disclaimer: Sites are described for entertainment purposes only, as they were at the time of my last visit. I can not vouch for the current condition of the site or its accessibility.

Revised: January 21, 2012
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