The desert blooms Mar 5, 2020

The desert blooms

It"s getting to be wildflower season in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. That means it won"t be long before we see blooms from the big daddy of the cactus world—the saguaro. Our homepage pic shows just a glimpse of this amazing succulent. The saguaro is the largest of them all, with some of the oldest specimens reaching more than 50 feet tall. It can hold huge amounts of water—after plentiful rains when it"s fully hydrated, a saguaro can weigh between 3,200 and 4,800 pounds. In the right conditions, it will live more than 100 years, growing arms as it ages, creating that classic cactus profile that"s associated with the desert and Old West.

© Jack Dykinga/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Mar 5, 2018Seattle Central Library, Seattle, Washington
Mar 5, 2019Stompin’ with the Big Chief
Mar 5, 2021Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
Mar 5, 2022Mont-Saint-Michel
Mar 5, 2023Cherry blossom season in Tokyo
Mar 5, 2024Bangkok, Thailand
Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Apr 16, 2020Bridges to the past
Jan 29, 2025Chinese New Year
Aug 10, 2024Joshua Tree National Park, California
Nov 3, 2022International Day for Biosphere Reserves
Apr 8, 2022Ponta Delgada
Oct 24, 2018Art over Amalfi
Jun 7, 2024World Oceans Day
Dec 4, 2018A viewer with a view
Feb 23, 2024Haghartsin Monastery, Armenia
Sep 24, 2025Devils Tower National Monument, Wyoming
May 3, 2018Nazar amulets, Goreme National Park, Cappadocia, Turkey
Jun 22, 2023World Rainforest Day
Feb 20, 2025Ansel Adams birthday
Oct 1, 2020A lunar lantern celebration
Dec 5, 2020A cozy winter village
Feb 21, 2019Sounds of Bach come to Bath
Sep 1, 2019Bidding summer adieu
Sep 1, 2018Let the Highland games begin
Aug 9, 2022International Day of the World s Indigenous Peoples
Jul 28, 2019Road-trip worthy attraction in the heartland
May 15, 2024The Blue City of Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India
Feb 9, 2024Pegadung Rock, Lampung, Sumatra, Indonesia
Jun 13, 2020A gorge-ous mill in the Causses
Jan 15, 2018Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial in Washington, DC
May 27, 2021Listening to the sea
Jun 14, 2023Flag Day
Feb 10, 2018Bonifacio on the island of Corsica, France
Jul 1, 2020Canada s $20 view
Feb 14, 2023Valentines Day
Mar 19, 2019The smoke before the bonfire