The iconic desert cactus, the one with the straight center pole and two arms, is hard to find. Cacti, like people, come in all sorts of configurations. Tall, short, bent, chubby, weathered, even spineless.
I have driven down Mile High Road on my way to the Desert Museum many times, but yesterday this multi-armed saguaro finally caught my eye. It's lower limbs seem to reach around the center structure, like it is trying to look behind itself.
There is some thought that cold nights with temperatures below freezing cause these giant plants to lose strength and have their arms fall. I've also read that lightning strikes might be the cause of fallen limbs.
Whatever the cause, it is apparent that the plant is definitely a cactus, but like most other cacti in the desert, it is not iconic.
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