TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Monday was a sad day for many hikers in the Tucson area: Gravity finally brought the plant they affectionately called “the leaning tower of saguaro” to the ground.
The Arizona Daily Star of Tucson reports (https://bit.ly/1IdfgBy ) that the severely tilting giant cactus amazed passers-by at the Mica View Trail at Saguaro National Park for years.
Biologist Don Swann told the Arizona Daily Star in April that he’d never seen a saguaro at that angle and predicted it wouldn’t remain standing for long.
But Swann says the fallen cactus will continue to provide for the desert ecosystem.
Decaying saguaros provide a habitat for many animals, including wood rats, lizards and snakes.
Swann says the saguaro’s ribs could remain on the desert floor for several years.
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Information from: Arizona Daily Star, https://www.tucson.com
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