Across an arid expanse of hard Southwestern sands, rocky hills, and rugged mountains emerges an amazing desert forest of some half a billion massive columnar cacti. This is the 120,000-square-mile Sonoran Desert and its most famous inhabitant: the remarkable Saguaro Cactus, Carnegiea gigantea — the monarch of the Sonoran Desert. Fourteenth century Spanish explorers first encountered Saguaros near present day Tucson, Arizona, describing the region as “the land of the marching giants.” To this day, when people around the world think “cactus,” they are likely imagining the imposing, almost human-like form of the Saguaro (pronounced: suh-wah-row). This is North America’s largest cactus, and its iconic silhouette, immortalized in art, cinema, and popular culture, is famous the world-over. The Saguaro, universal symbol of the American West, is said to be the most photographed plant on earth. ➤ A complete write-up of the natural history of Carnegiea gigantea included with each kit.