Expert: Greg Simpson - 9/6/2006

Question
Recently we had some vandalism and a vehicle knocked down our saguaro. The base is split. The saguaro was about 24 ft. high, had approx. 4 arms,2 of them approx. 2 - 3 ft. in length. Is it possible to replant them.(arms). 2 of them came off upon impact but seem to be in one piece.  Also can you give me an idea how old it may be - we have been in this house 29 yrs and it was here before we moved in.  What approx. value would a saguaro that size be?

Answer
Dear G,

You can replant the arms, just make sure you orient them north/south just like they were on the main plant. Do not water and add quite a bit of sand to the soil pior to planting (about 50%). If they root, and thats a big IF, it can take months (just be patient). A saguaro that big is probably about 150 to 200 years old.

Saguaro's grow exceedingly slow in the beginning, but grow much faster as they gain size. The price tag to replace it would be in the 3 to 5 thousand dollar range I believe. Your best bet is to call AZ Cactus sales in Chandler AZ (if your in the Phoenix area) to get a definitive answer on price. Their number is 480-963-1061.

I have know the owners for over 20 years and they are the best at what they do. Hope this helps.

Sincerely,

Greg