Saguaro Fruit Harvest

In early July, staff and volunteers from Desert Foothills Land Trust, Desert Botanical Garden and Spur Cross Ranch Conservation Area harvested saguaro fruit at P.A. Seitts Preserve at Go John Canyon. The Garden will use the fruit and seeds in educational programs and for saguaro propagation.

Spur Cross Ranch Interpretive Ranger Kevin Smith instructed the volunteers on the use of traditional Tohono O'odham poles made from saguaro ribs lashed together, with a small crossbar used for hooking or pushing fruits off the cactus. Land Trust President Sue Clement also shared some of the traditional Tohono O'odham ceremony before the harvest, meant to ensure a successful harvest and to bring on the monsoon rains. Volunteers then broke into teams and set out to harvest. Selecting appropriately ripe fruits, maneuvering the pole and then gathering the fruit as it falls is surprisingly hard work! After the harvest, volunteers gathered at Gateway Desert Awareness Park for a well-earned breakfast and to sort the fruit for the Garden's use.

Many wildlife species enjoy this wonderful desert fruit. Birds, particularly white-winged doves, eat the fruit while still on the saguaro. Any fruit that falls to the ground is usually quickly eaten by terrestrial wildlife. It is a season of bounty in the middle of our intense summer heat.

Please be aware that we do not permit public harvest of saguaro fruits (or other vegetation, minerals, animals or cultural artifacts) on our preserves. The wildlife of our region depend on this seasonal bounty and we are careful to conduct only one localized harvest for conservation purposes. Over-ripe and green fruits remain on the saguaros for wildlife use and natural saguaro propagation. Thank you for respecting the conservation of our critical natural resources!