'Leaning Tower Of Saguaro' Falls At Saguaro National Park

By Stina Sieg
Published: Tuesday, May 5, 2015 - 4:51pm
Updated: Wednesday, May 6, 2015 - 8:21am
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(Photo by Doug Kreutz - Arizona Daily Star)
'The Leaning Tower of Saguaro,' as it became affectionately known, became mildly famous after being featured in a Tucson newspaper article.
(Photo by Doug Kreutz - Arizona Daily Star)
But the crooked cactus' star burned out quickly. It recently fell, after listing at a seemingly impossible angle for an untold amount of time.
(Photo by Doug Kreutz - Arizona Daily Star)
The ill-fated saguaro will still serve a purpose, however, as home to various animals an insects who make their home at Saguaro National Park.

A tall cactus at Saguaro National Park has fallen after listing at an incredibly steep angle, possibly for years. This comes less than a month after the cactus was featured in a Tucson newspaper.

The tale of the tilted cactus started in April, when a reporter happened upon the saguaro, listing at about a 45-degree angle. He took a photo and sent it to Don Swann, a biologist with Saguaro National Park and the one who coined the phrase "the Leaning Tower of Saguaro."  A few weeks later, it toppled to the desert floor.

But Swann said it’s still part of the local ecosystem.

"So, there are a lot of insects, for example, that will live in the pulp of the saguaro as it’s decaying," he explained. "As the wood becomes exposed, they’re used by lizards and snakes and other wildlife."

Falling is simply part of cactus' life cycle, Swann added, and park officials won’t try to keep any upright. He said more saguaros have fallen at the park this year than normal, due to high wind and wet soil. He believes this particular cactus may have been more than 100 years old. 

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