Most people see their first saguaro (pronounced “sah-wah-roh) cactus on television, perhaps in a cartoon or a Western movie. The signature plants of the Sonoran Desert, towering saguaro cacti (Carnegiea gigantea) are also beloved symbols of the American West. These cacti can reach 40 feet tall and one was measured at almost 80 feet, although these are the granddaddies of the species.