The desert blooms Mar 5, 2020

It"s getting to be wildflower season in the Sonoran Desert in Arizona. That means it won"t be long before we see blooms from the big daddy of the cactus world—the saguaro. Our homepage pic shows just a glimpse of this amazing succulent. The saguaro is the largest of them all, with some of the oldest specimens reaching more than 50 feet tall. It can hold huge amounts of water—after plentiful rains when it"s fully hydrated, a saguaro can weigh between 3,200 and 4,800 pounds. In the right conditions, it will live more than 100 years, growing arms as it ages, creating that classic cactus profile that"s associated with the desert and Old West.

© Jack Dykinga/Minden Pictures

palette

Today in History

Mar 5, 2018Seattle Central Library, Seattle, Washington
Mar 5, 2019Stompin’ with the Big Chief
Mar 5, 2021Reflecting on one of the world s strangest rivers
Mar 5, 2022Mont-Saint-Michel
Mar 5, 2023Cherry blossom season in Tokyo
Mar 5, 2024Bangkok, Thailand
Mar 5, 2025Khao Sok National Park in Thailand
Mar 5, 2026Evening over Göreme, Cappadocia, Türkiye

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dec 21, 2025Winter solstice
Sep 9, 2022Belize Barrier Reef
Feb 21, 2020Carnival comes to Olinda
Jan 31, 2018Sunbeams across Tartu County, Estonia
Mar 2, 2026Harbor and longtail boats at Ko Samui, Thailand
Nov 6, 2024Shi Shi Beach, Olympic National Park, Washington
Aug 31, 2024Tassili n’Ajjer, Sahara, Algeria
Dec 23, 2019A Festivus for the rest of us
Dec 3, 2025Sandhill cranes, Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge, New Mexico
Jul 17, 2018Is there a bug-egg emoji for this?
Feb 21, 2018Innerdalsvatna Lake, near Ålvundeidet, Norway
Jul 20, 2024International Moon Day
Aug 9, 2020A peek at an explosive peak
Feb 5, 2024Western Monarch Day
Apr 2, 2025Sandstone formations in the badlands near Caineville, Utah
Nov 14, 2022Castle ruins on the island of Halki, Greece
Aug 27, 2021Yabba-Dabba-Doo!
Jan 6, 2020Have fun storming the castle
Oct 28, 2023Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Oct 14, 2025Village of Oia in Santorini, Greece
Oct 7, 2019From the mind of Frank Gehry
Aug 27, 2019Remembering Krakatoa
Mar 27, 2023New York City skyline
Feb 15, 2025The natural ice wall of Misotsuchi, Chichibu, Japan
Jul 27, 2018Composite image of a lunar eclipse
May 27, 2025Mona Vale Rockpool, Sydney, Australia
Feb 26, 2022Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve
Aug 13, 2021Fight for your lefts
Aug 30, 2024International Whale Shark Day
Mar 28, 2020The meeting point of the winds