Saguaro Spines is a photograph by Douglas Taylor which was uploaded on August 10th, 2023.
Saguaro Spines
The spines of the iconic saguaro cactus are nearly as strong as steel needles, and just as sharp as seen in this macro photograph of a young specimen... more
Title
Saguaro Spines
Artist
Douglas Taylor
Medium
Photograph - Fine Art Digital Photography
Description
The spines of the iconic saguaro cactus are nearly as strong as steel needles, and just as sharp as seen in this macro photograph of a young specimen in Saguaro National Park, west of Tucson, Arizona.
The spines are extremely sharp, very stiff and can be over 3 inches long. They can also grow rapidly, reaching their full size in around 3 months time and originate in areoles at the apex of the plant, They stop growing before the end of a year. These areoles are what appear to be many armed and dangerous soccer balls at the base of the spines on this plant.
Columnar cactus grow from the apex where the areoles first form and begin to grow the spines. As the cactus continues to grow from the tip, these areoles and their spines are moved to the side. Not only do the spines of the saguaro thwart animal predation, but the dense covering of the tender tissues at the tip both shade it from the blistering summer Sonoran Desert sun and help insulate it from the rare freezing winter nights.
Uploaded
August 10th, 2023
More from Douglas Taylor
Comments (10)
Don Columbus
Congratulations, your work is Featured in "Photographic Camera Art" I invite you to place it in the group's "2020-2024 Featured Image Archive" Discussion!
Douglas Taylor replied:
Thank you, Don! I am both delighted and honored to be featured in this wonderful photographic art group, and to be selected among the many superb artist photographers who participate here.
Hugh Warren
Congratulations Douglas! Your excellent image is featured on the homepage of Patterns We Find: https://fineartamerica.com/groups/patterns-we-find--2-photos-per-day.html?tab=overview. Feel free to post it in our featured images archive: https://fineartamerica.com/groups/patterns-we-find--2-photos-per-day.html?showmessage=true&messageid=8712316 Regards, Hugh
Laurel Adams
Douglas, CONGRATULATIONS Your lovely image has been featured in The ARTIST BUZzz GROUP!! You are cordially invited to POST your Homepage Feature’s EMBED link to the 2023 Features Archive Thread in the Discussion thread. Thank you for your glimpse of BEAUTY.
Douglas Taylor replied:
Laurel! Thank you so very much for this wonderful honor! Your awesome support is greatly appreciated here.
Randy Rosenberger
Bravo! You have been chosen to have your beautiful piece of artwork from your portfolio featured on the homepage of our Wisconsin Flowers and Scenery Group. It is with honor an privilege that I have chosen this particular piece of your works to be a feature on our homepage due to its striking appearance, color, composition, and simply the fact that I really like it. Congrats on your feature!
Douglas Taylor replied:
Thank you, Randy! I am honored by your selection to be featured in this superb art group.
Sabina Pamfili
I have a vivid imagination sometimes and here I am thinking.....they could really hurt a bad person....anyway, great fantastic photography, Douglas.
Douglas Taylor replied:
Thank you, Sabina! Yes, good or bad these sharp spines can be remarkably painful. Particularly if one forgets to look behind when backing up to compose a photograph....
Jane M Dahl
Really cool image. I love the textures and detail in this beautiful image. Wonderful photo. Featured in American Desert Southwest.
Douglas Taylor replied:
Jane! Thank you for your sweet words, and for featuring my photograph in this wonderful art group. Your awesome support is ALWAYS appreciated by this man.
VIVA Anderson
Stunning this saguaro cactus, Douglas. Lethat, too. Well done getting this dramatic capture, and, I am so impressed with their biology/habits,etc in your remarkably detailed Description !! They are the synonym for survival in the desert, so fierce their environment, so fierce their 'presence'. Kudos, !! Wow! FAV......VIVA
Douglas Taylor replied:
Thank you very much for your wonderful words, VIVA! I am delighted to know that you appreciate my descriptions, also! Your awesome support is most appreciated here.
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