Watch Now: The death of Strong-Arm saguaro in the Tortolita Preserve
The famous Strong-Arm saguaro in the Tortolita Preserve collapsed Aug. 4. The tall saguaro lived in the Dove Mountain area in Marana. Based on its size and the growth rates of other saguaros in the Tucson area, Strong-Arm was probably 150 to 175 years old, according to Bill Peachey, a saguaro researcher.
Peachey said the cactus was killed by a runaway bacterial infection that probably started several years ago. Video produced by Mamta Popat, Arizona Daily Star. Additional footage by Henry Brean and sunset photo by Mark Johnson.
Mamta Popat
Photojournalist
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Requiem for a saguaro named Strong-ArmFor Star subscribers: Neighbors and regulars of Tortolita Preserve in Marana are mourning the loss of a giant saguaro known as Strong-Arm, which might have sprouted around the time of Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration.
Neighbors and regulars of Tortolita Preserve in Marana are mourning the loss of a giant saguaro known as Strong-Arm, which might have sprouted around the time of Abraham Lincoln’s inauguration.
Flowers bloom and fruit forms atop the one remaining living arm of a giant, 200-year-old saguaro that toppled last year in Catalina State Park near Tucson.
