Saguaro National Park in December

Low grasses and scattered cacti, with rugged hills sparsely covered in low shrubs

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This landscape shows a protected portion of the relatively-lusher eastern portion of the Sonoran Desert, featuring the iconic saguaro cactus. The terrain varies between flat basins and low mountains. Warm temperatures allow cacti to thrive, but lack of water makes it so that even higher elevations are devoid of trees.