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
Mar 5, 2026Evening over Göreme, Cappadocia, Türkiye

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Jun 2, 2021The dry days of winter in Etosha
Dec 28, 2020Wildcat in a winter wonderland
Oct 22, 2024Palazzo Zuccari, Rome
Jan 14, 2021Summer huts in winter
Jul 22, 2020Wildebeest on the move
Oct 18, 2024Autumn in Central Park, New York
Apr 23, 2025Shakespeare Day
Apr 4, 2019Taking the forest to the cloud
Mar 10, 2025National Napping Day
Aug 27, 2023Jeju Island, South Korea
Aug 14, 2021When Death Valley blew its top
Jan 27, 2022Bluespotted ribbontail ray
Oct 14, 2024Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Day
Feb 18, 2018Great horned owl near Lake Tohopekaliga, Florida
Oct 24, 2019Bridge of Hillsborough County
Sep 6, 2021All in a day s work
Feb 22, 2024Bathing boxes at Brighton Beach, Australia
Oct 16, 2021Unearthing a queen s lost tale
Jan 18, 2019An opulent backdrop for a historic event
Nov 30, 2023Saint Andrews Day
Jul 19, 2019A place fit for the gods
Mar 10, 2023Vale of Edale, Peak District, England
Jun 10, 2021A Portuguese fort takes a star turn
Apr 20, 2024National Park Week begins
Oct 30, 2023Common raven
Jul 17, 2021Pretty, pretty…butterfly?
Apr 23, 2019A legend and a legendary home
Jul 8, 2025Seceda, Dolomites, South Tyrol, Italy
Oct 11, 2019Art in the high desert
Jun 30, 2018The aftermath of a meteorite