Illustration of saguaro
plural saguaros
: a tall columnar usually sparsely-branched cactus (Carnegiea gigantea) of dry areas of the southwestern U.S. and Mexico that bears white flowers and a scaly reddish edible fruit and that may attain a height of up to 50 feet (16 meters)
called also giant cactus
Did you know?
Venture into the Arizonan desert on a May or June morning and you may see the saguaro in bloom. For many of our readers (such as those living in Arizona and southeastern California), this sight - and the word saguaro - won't be anything new. Or perhaps you know this emblem of all things Southwestern simply as the "giant cactus." The word saguaro originated in Ópata, a language spoken by peoples of the Sonoran Desert region of Mexico. It came into English by way of the Spanish spoken by the Mexican settlers of the American West. The very saguaros we see today may well have been around when the word was first noted, some 150 years ago - this amazing cactus can live for up to 200 years.
Examples of saguaro in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The highway cut through fields of saguaro cactuses.
—
Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2025
Two showcased Arizona: one for the Phoenix metro area — saguaro cacti and ocotillo in the foreground, freeway and skyscrapers in the background — and one for the red-rock country to the north.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Although the saguaro cactus blooms usually peak toward the end of May, there are plenty of other flowering cacti in the park in bloom in late April.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
The saguaro, a towering icon of the Southwest, is found only in this region and can live for over 200 years, providing food and shelter for many creatures, including the elusive Gila woodpecker and Harris’s hawk.
—Visit Tucson, AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025
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Benji Jones, Vox, 21 May 2025
Two showcased Arizona: one for the Phoenix metro area — saguaro cacti and ocotillo in the foreground, freeway and skyscrapers in the background — and one for the red-rock country to the north.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 15 May 2025
Although the saguaro cactus blooms usually peak toward the end of May, there are plenty of other flowering cacti in the park in bloom in late April.
—Arick Wierson, MSNBC Newsweek, 16 Apr. 2025
The saguaro, a towering icon of the Southwest, is found only in this region and can live for over 200 years, providing food and shelter for many creatures, including the elusive Gila woodpecker and Harris’s hawk.
—Visit Tucson, AFAR Media, 21 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for saguaro
Cite this Entry
“Saguaro.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/saguaro. Accessed 8 Jul. 2025.
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