For nearly 30 years, Gumby watched over visitors at Tohono Chul.
With its fan-shaped crest and two bird nests that resembled eyes, the rare saguaro became one of the Tucson nature preserve's most recognizable residents.
After an estimated lifespan of more than 100 years, Gumby died after developing bacterial necrosis, Tohono Chul announced Monday.
The cactus got his name because his unusual crest resembled the head of the classic green cartoon character Gumby.
“What I think really made Gumby feel like a character, a little bit more like a friend than your typical plant, is that birds had actually created two nests close to the crest of the saguaro that resembled eyes,” said Jack Dash, Tohono Chul's gardens and facilities manager. “When you were looking at Gumby he legitimately looked sort of like a person or a character staring back at you.”
Gumby was transplanted to Tohono Chul in 1997, though staff don't know where he originally grew. Dash estimates the cactus was already between 75 and 125 years old at the time, making him a mature saguaro long before he arrived at the gardens.
Gumby, a rare crested saguaro that stood at Tohono Chul for nearly 30 years, died after an estimated lifespan of more than 100 years.
During his nearly three decades at Tohono Chul, Gumby continued to grow, sprouting new arms from his distinctive crest. Birds carved three nesting cavities into his trunk, while prickly pear cacti rooted themselves in folds along his crest, eventually giving him what looked like a prickly pear crown.
Crested, or cristate, saguaros are extraordinarily rare. A crest forms when cells in the growing stem divert from their normal circular pattern and begin to divide outward, producing a fan-like shape. The cause of the mutation remains a mystery, though one theory suggests it may be triggered by an event such as a freeze.
At one time, there were thought to be fewer than 200 crested saguaros in existence. Today, the Sonoran Desert is home to well over 2,000 crested saguaros, according to Tohono Chul.
Gumby eventually developed bacterial necrosis, a disease that commonly kills older saguaros after Erwinia bacteria enter through damaged areas of the cactus. While preventative measures can be taken, the disease is typically fatal.
Rather than removing Gumby, Tohono Chul plans to leave Gumby where he fell.
As Gumby decomposes over the coming years, the water stored inside his tissues will slowly seep into the surrounding soil, creating nutrient-rich “rot pockets” that provide moisture and organic matter in the desert. Dash said those conditions could help support fungi, insects, bacteria and even future saguaros.
“The best thing you can do when a big, beautiful saguaro like this collapses is just leave it where it is and let it really decompose and contribute to the ecosystem,” Dash said.
Eventually, all that will remain are Gumby's woody ribs and the hardened bird nests, known as “boots,” which could remain in the desert for decades.
Beyond their ecological importance, saguaros hold deep cultural significance for the Tohono O'odham people. The annual saguaro fruit harvest marks the beginning of the O'odham New Year, and in some traditions, saguaros are considered kin.
For Dash, Gumby's story is also a reminder of the important role every saguaro plays in the Sonoran Desert.
“They're such an important keystone plant in our ecosystem,” he said. “Every saguaro kind of has a story to tell and has a role to play in the habitat that it exists within.”
