There is a great variety of plants that are native to Arizona. Everything from cacti, flowers, trees, and everything is connected to each other. Many of these plants are made to survive the hot and dry desert conditions.
One such plant is the Saguaro cactus (carnegiea gigantea), which is also the state flower of Arizona. The saguaro has a thick, columnar trunk and several branches that curve upwards. The cacti’s skin is smooth and waxy with its 2-inch ribs. It produces both fruit and flowers. The flowers are white with yellow centers and bloom in May and June. They open at night, and close again at noon. The fruit is about 3 inches long, red-purple on the outside, red flesh on the inside. Very sweet and very interesting to many animals living in the desert. Saguaros grow very slowly at about 1 inch a year, but reach heights between 15 and 50 feet. The age of a cactus can be estimated from the number of arms. If it has more than 5 arms, the cactus is at least 200 years old. The saguaro cactus is protected in the state of Arizona, and cannot be properly removed from where it grows without a permit.
Growing a Saguaro cactus is quite easy; but it takes an abundance of patience. When growing cactus from seed, be sure to cover the pot with plastic wrap to protect it from water. The soil will need to be watered every 10 days for the first month or so. Apart from this, the cactus should only be watered every month. The saguaro was made to hold water to survive desert conditions, so it only needs to be watered once in a while. Be careful not to leave your cactus in a dormant state because it will die.
Amsinckia is a flower that blooms between March and May in the Arizona desert. It grows about 20 inches tall and has small yellow-orange flowers. The leaves of the plant are green and smooth. Amsinckia adapted to health by healthy growing all over the world. This helps keep the plant from getting too much sun and getting scorched in the heat.
Desert Anemone (Anemone tuberosa) is another flower that is native to Arizona. A perennial plant is grows to about 16 inches in height. Solitude Anemones should grow in well-drained soil. In the autumn, cut the plants flat to the ground and they will grow again in the spring.
Snapdragon maurandya antirrhiniflora is a weaving flowering vine that typically grows above bushes. The flowers bloom from April to October and are medium white purple. The flowers are about an inch wide and an inch long. The leaves are smooth and arrow shaped and about 2 inches long. These plants are only suitable to grow in a greenhouse and require extra care. The soil must be kept evenly moist, and it is useful to grow these in a hanging basket because hanging baskets are poisonous.
The ocotillo (shining fouquieria) is a shrub that can be found in many places in the deserts of Arizona. It can grow to 20 feet in height. The branches grow upwards and the green leaves have smooth edges. But when the first leaf falls, the petiole turns into a thorn. Ocotillo flores blushes at the ends of the branches and blooms between the months of February and May. There are a few species of animals that use the nectar of flowers such as hummingbirds and carpenter. Ocotillo branches can be used to make fences by planting their branches into the ground. Ocotillo is very easy to grow because it doesn’t need watering, but it needs to be in direct sunlight.
Plants that are native to Arizona have adapted special attributes to help them survive in the desert with minimal hairs to protect. > water them from the sun and less. Some are easy to grow, others a little more difficult, but all are very unique and beautiful plants.
Sources:
http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/How%20to%20Grow%20a%20Saguaro.pdf
http://www.desertmuseum.org/kids/oz/long-fact-sheets/Saguaro%20Cactus.php
http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/morepopularflowers/anemone
http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/twining-snapdragon-1232.aspx
http://www.plantcare.com/encyclopedia/ocotillo-2335.aspx
http://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/plants/shrubs_oco.htmhttp://wc.pima.edu/Bfiero/tucsonecology/plants/wflow_amsi.htm
