Sonoran Desert Landscapes

The Iconic Saguaro is found only in the Sonoran Desert, which includes about 120,000 square miles of southern California and Arizona, most of Baja California, and half of the state of Sonora, Mexico.

Discover the Cacti of Sedona

I delight in the fact and grateful to daydream often. These contemporary Sedona landscapes come to me after meditation. My goal is always to create a Sedona landscape painting in a vivid, mystical fashion. Be it Prickly Pear or the Iconic Saguaro Cactus in this high desert environment of Sedona.

Iconic Saguaro

These Iconic Saguaros grow arms to balance themselves out to keep from falling over. In this photo, you can see many “babies” are starting to emerge to help it stand tall and straight again after losing one of its massive arms. This photo is from a Sedona landscape here in the Village of Oak Creek. And I used this as inspiration to bring about this Sedona landscape painting.

The Grand One

An adult Saguaro lives to be about 125 years of age. It may weigh 6 tons or more and be as tall as 50 feet. The average lifespan of a Saguaro is probably 150 – 175 years of age. However, biologists believe that some plants may live over 200 years. Here is the exception. The largest Saguaro on record was nicknamed “the Grand One.” It was roughly 200 years old, 46 feet tall, and sported a dozen arms. This star saguaro was damaged in a wildfire in 2005 and toppled a few years later.

Desert Blossom – Arizona State Wildflower

Saguaros sport a temporary crown of blossoms in late spring and early summer. The desert blooms open at night and lives through the following afternoon—a short window for pollinators like bees and bats to reach the pollen within.  After the blooms close, they mature into healthy red fruit—a sweet desert delicacy and a vital nutrient source for desert tribes like the Tohono O’odham.

Tons of Water

A saguaro can hold about a ton of water. So in a single year, the Saguaro can sucking up and transpiring a little over a thousand gallons of water and can absorb around two hundred gallons in a single week.

To view other paintings that portray the species of the “Prickly Pear Cactus.” Take a look here, “Desert Blossom” and “Sedona Cactus.”

Here’s more on the quality of our reproductions.

Vivid Mystical Landscapes

To discover and delight in my creative process as a Sedona artist painting vivid, mystical landscapes, click here.