Discover the Official State Flower of Arizona (When It Blooms and Where to See It!)

Mexican long-tongue bats and long-nosed bats are friends of Arizona’s official state flower. They help with the pollination process while they collect nectar overnight. When daylight arrives, bees and white-winged doves pollinate the flowers. That results in the sweet-smelling blossoms the state of Arizona reveres. Not only does the official state flower of Arizona smell like a familiar fruit, but the plant also produces an edible fruit of its own! Discover the official state flower of Arizona and learn when it blooms. If you’re ready for a new adventure, learn where you can go to take in the inspiring beauty of these flowers for yourself.

The Official State Flower of Arizona

The official state flower of Arizona is the saguaro cactus blossom (scientific name: Carnegiea gigantea). Saguaro grows up to 50 feet tall and can weigh over a ton, depending on how much water it has stored. A couple dozen flexible, wooden rods form its skeletal core to support its massive weight. It produces white flowers that only open when the sun has left to greet another part of the world. By the time many people start to prepare dinner, the flowers close shop again only to wait until the sun’s later retreat. This plant also produces plump red fruit. This huge columnar tree cactus is leafless and has a prickly trunk. Its branches stand nearly erect on either side of its center.

This native cactus symbolizes desert landscapes and was honored and thoroughly used by Native Americans. They would take the skeletal core to make fences and shelters, eat the fruit fresh, or use it to create beverages and preserves. It’s a cactus that appreciates the dry, hot desert climate. Its prickly exterior protects it from predators and the tops of the plant serve as nesting spots for several birds, including Gila woodpeckers and gilded flickers. Eventually, those same nests are used by other birds like cactus wrens and elf owls.

Where Saguaro Cactus Flowers Bloom

Saguaro cactus flowers bloom in the Sonoran Desert, which covers Baja California, the southern third of Arizona, some southeastern regions of California, and mainly Mexico. You know the cactus is humongous, but it’s hard to picture it unless you place a human next to it and you realize how towering it is. The flowers decorate the cactus like a delicate crown and like bracelets on its branches. The flowers have yellow centers which are surrounded by bright white blooms that measure about three inches in diameter. They have a strong scent as well which can be compared to overripe melons.

When Do Saguaro Cactus Flowers Bloom?

Flowering for the saguaro cactus plant starts in the later part of April. Peak flowering, then, occurs from the last week of May through the first week of June. Winter rain acts as a trigger for the saguaro plant to begin flowering. The warmer temperatures continue encouraging the blossoms along with the longer periods of sunlight. As for the fruit, it ripens in the later part of June into the early days of July. When ripe, it has a deep red color. To prepare for the summer rain that follows in the later part of July through August, the fruits drop thousands of little seeds.

How Common Are Saguaro Cactus Blossoms?

Saguaro cactus blossoms are not common at all. They are one of two of the only fruit-bearing native plants found throughout the U.S. They also take the number one spot for the tallest cactus plant in the U.S. Considering their one-of-a-kind appeal, many people head over to Saguaro National Park to get a look at the cactus plant, its flowers, and fruit for themselves. Native Americans continue their tradition of harvesting the Saguaro fruit, which tastes like raspberries and plums. Since it’s not available in farmer’s markets or sold commercially, it’s not always possible to get a taste. However, it may pop up on farm-to-table restaurant menus from time to time.

Are You Allowed to Pick Saguaro Cactus Blossoms?

Saguaro National Park is situated within the lands of the Tohono O’odham people, who maintain a sacred relationship with the saguaro cactus plant, partaking in the annual fruit harvest. Those who enter the park acknowledge these traditional lands. For example, several volunteers and interns from the Latin Heritage Internship Program and Next Gen Rangers have collaborated for the Saguaro Flower Power Project. Together, they head out to Saguaro National Park to study the Saguaro flowering phenology. They don’t pick the flowers or the fruit; simply, they take photographs, documenting meteorological measurements along with flowering dates to understand how the plant changes over time. Their efforts are supported by both the Western National Parks Association and the Friends of Saguaro National Park.