The end of a giant:

[Ptah]

[montanacowboy]

1. What a shame!

what a beautiful cactus

[AZSkiffyGeek]

2. We had a big one in our yard that we lost right at the beginning of COVID

Not that big, but it was around 25 ft and had multiple arms. Just keeled over and took out a bunch of other cacti in our yard.

[mike_c]

4. We lost a big one about the same time...

It dropped toward the house but just brushed the edge of the gutter on the way down. Unfortunately (or maybe not), we weren't here when it happened. Apparently it came down in a wind storm. Old, old tree, but great wildlife habitat while it lasted!

[AZSkiffyGeek]

3. Something I wondered when we had ours chopped up

Can you plant one of those sections and have it grow? Sahuaros are protected and very expensive to buy, I wonder if a healthy portion of that one can grow into a new cactus?

[marybourg]

11. Yes! Yes! My neighbor cut the tips off healthy young

arms (about 6 - 10 “) planted them a few years ago ( with some light shade, water) and now has a little saguaro farm! You could also heal a health small arm for a few days in shade, until it grow a bit of a callous, and plant that.

[duncang]

5. A shame to see it cut.

But you can see the base was rotted out.

[Ptah]

6. Yes, it was falling apart.

Left Oct 10; Right Oct 18

[AZ8theist]

9. Now people will wonder "Why is there a funny notch in that wall?"

[SWBTATTReg]

7. What a shame. Perhaps you can salvage some of the cuttings by transplanting?

[AZ8theist]

8. It can take 50-70, sometimes 100 years to grow the first arm...

Funny story. Had a coworker who lived in Chandler had one in his front yard. Didn't have any arms, but the top grew out kind of odd. Let's just say it looked like a giant "Arnold Palmer".

[AZSkiffyGeek]

10. Those fan-topped ones are so cool!

It's some weird mutation that does that. I don't think they ever grow arms with that mutation.

[ChazII]

12. It is sad when the saguaros in our neighborhood

have to be cut.

[Kali]

13. ...

[Ptah]

14. Before the removal of this cactus, I would have 15 or 20 birds at my feeder, 80 ft from the cactus.

I have not seen any birds since then.

[Ptah]

15. There are still some other giants in my neighborhood:

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

16. did you save a piece to regrow?

[Ptah]

17. Nah. I think that giant was about 150 years old.

If I was inclined to grow one, I would start with seeds from fruit that falls on the ground.