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Cacti Don’t Have Time

A close-up of a saguaro’s spines.
A close-up of a saguaro’s spines. Photo: Jon G. Fuller / VWPics (AP)

The 2018 NPS survey also found that younger saguaros had been spotted growing recently in rocky areas, which could suggest they’re leaching moisture from water caught in the rock cracks. But the long growth period of the cactus means that the rapid climate changes we’re seeing in the West may not give the plants enough time to adapt to the new conditions.