STATE FLOWER
Arizona's State Flower: Saguaro Cactus Blossom
The saguaro cactus blossom (Carnegiea gigantea) has represented Arizona since 1931, following an earlier run as the territory's official flower starting in 1901.
A Bloom That Barely Lasts a Day
The saguaro is famously slow-growing — each arm takes up to 75 years to develop — but its flowers move at the opposite pace. Blooms open at night in May and June and close permanently by the following afternoon, giving bats, moths, and other night pollinators only a brief window to do their work.
QUICK FACT
Saguaro cacti are native almost exclusively to the Sonoran Desert, making Arizona's state flower one of the most geographically specific in the country.
