Another Neurodivergent Queer Writes A Blog!

Downtown Tucson, in the court/city hall complex on Congress.

There was a rock on top of the poor thing, but you’ll notice it’s gone in the last photo.

Like most other fasciated individuals, the mutation is partial: notice the two regular arms. It’s too bad the second top was damaged by a frost (I presume). Other fasciated saguaros grow what appear to be crowns from the way they can outward, sometimes even into volutes like an ionic capital.

Here’s a handy pdf from UofA on problems saguaros face by Michael Chamberland: “Saguaro Horticulture Saguaro Problems, Pests And Disease” (2021).

It’s not the prettiest fasciated saguaro, but it’s impressive anyway. I had to stand on that boulder next to it in order to get up to eye level only with the top of the crest.

Very sad to see, however, that the newest fasciated growth is rotting from an Erwinia cacticida infection (that yellow spot with the big hollow gash in it), and since the spot is way bigger than 2″, the whole cactus is probably infected. Maybe this cactus will manage to seal itself off from the infection spreading any further. Fingers crossed!