Nevada

Do saguaros grow in Las Vegas? It’s complicated

Published

2 years ago

April 17, 2024

Do saguaros grow in Las Vegas? It’s complicated

If you’ve ever wandered into a Las Vegas souvenir shop, you’ve likely seen some Las Vegas T-shirt or trinket with a saguaro cactus — an iconic Southwestern motif recognized by its large arms and tall, slender stature.

Saguaros on Las Vegas merchandise isn’t just a faux pas with the mom-and-pop souvenir shops you might walk by along the Strip. The NFL even put saguaros on T-shirts and earrings for the 2024 Super Bowl.

Folks new to Las Vegas might be surprised to find out that the cactuses — which can grow to be as much as 50 to 70 feet tall — can’t be found in Southern Nevada’s desert.

So, why don’t the quiet giants grow around Las Vegas like they do in Phoenix?

The short answer: It’s too dry and too cold for them here.

The Sonoran Desert, which extends from southern Arizona south into the Sonora and Baja California, Mexico, and the far, eastern edge of California near the Colorado River, is the only place on Earth where you’ll find saguaros.

Somewhere south of Kingman, Arizona, lies the transition zone between the Sonoran and Mojave deserts. The Mojave Desert extends from central Nevada to northeastern Arizona and from southeastern California to southwestern Utah.

Peter Breslin, a plant ecology researcher at the University of Arizona’s Desert Laboratory at Tumamoc Hill in Tucson, says saguaros need several years of mild, wet summers and winters for them to develop and establish themselves — conditions the plant can hardly find in the Mojave.

Las Vegas averages about 4 inches of rain a year, but Tucson, home of Saguaro National Park, gets over twice as much. The species also hates frost, and can even be killed by long periods of freezing temperatures that can occur periodically in the Mojave Desert, Breslin said.

“There’s conditions just northwest of Kingman (Arizona) that saguaros just haven’t adapted to that relate to both being more dry and colder,” Breslin said.

When saguaros do try to naturally grow close to the Mojave, like they do along the California-Arizona border, they often look “beat up and dried out,” and grow much slower than the ones farther east in southern Arizona, Breslin said.

“That just shows you sort of the narrow range of conditions that the saguaros are adapted to,” he said.

Growing saguaros in Southern Nevada

Though they don’t grow naturally in the Mojave, saguaros can still be used for landscaping in Las Vegas.

Breslin said they need a lot more water than what the environment here naturally provides and must be an already established plant before moving to someone’s yard.

Saguaros cultivated in Nevada also get used to the Nevada temperatures, and with supplemental water can survive in the Mojave’s drier climate.

“When people put them at their house or in landscaping, they’ve already gone through the establishment phase and they can adjust to the lower amounts of water in the Mojave,” he said.

Saguaros also need enough room for their roots to keep themselves up. Breslin recommends saguaro owners give their plant a 10-foot radius, some loosened up soil and some two-by-fours and a blanket to secure the plant while it gets adjusted to its new environment.

Owners should also figure out where the warmest and coldest parts of their yard are, and plant the saguaro somewhere warm — preferably with the plant south-facing near a wall — to help the plant be more frost-resistant, he said.

Why people choose to spend hundreds of dollars on a plant that isn’t supposed to grow in Las Vegas remains up for debate, but Breslin says the reason why he believes people love saguaros across the Southwest is likely because they look like people with their large arms and upright bodies.

“They have a very whimsical kind of noticeable appearance that perhaps we can identify with as upright mammals,” he joked.

Saguaros also have significant spiritual and cultural significance to Arizona’s indigenous Tohono O’odham people, whose calendar begins with the month when saguaro fruit is harvested at the beginning of the summer monsoon season.

“Perhaps we use these symbols, even when they don’t grow where they are, because we identify, or feel some kind of kinship.”

Contact Taylor Lane at tlane@reviewjournal.com.

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Nevada

Nevada gets back in win column, downs Wyoming, 92-83

Published

1 hour ago

January 11, 2026

Press Room

Nevada gets back in win column, downs Wyoming, 92-83

Corey Camper Jr. put on a shooting clinic and helped Nevada get back in the win column.

Nevada beat Wyoming 92-83, on Saturday in front of an announced crowd of 8,906 fans at Lawlor Events Center.

Camper Jr., playing for the third time after missing a month with a back injury, scored a career-high 31 points as Nevada improved to 4-1 in the Mountain West Conference, 12-4 overall. He was 10-of-13 from the field including 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and 6-of-8 from the free throw line, playing 32 minutes. He had seven rebounds.

Elijah Price had a double-double with a career-high 20 points and 16 rebounds, in 34 minutes, while Tayshawn Comer, Amire Robinson and Peyton White each added 10 points. Comer had 10 assists as Nevada had 21 as a team. Vaughn Weems returned to the court after missing the San Diego State game on Tuesday with the flu. He played 12 minutes and scored nine points.

The Wolf Pack shot 61 percent from the field (31-51) and made 10-of-16 from the arc.

Nasir Meyer led Wyoming with 27 points as the Cowboys dropped to 2-2 in conference, 11-5 overall.

Nevada coach Steve Alford said the Wolf Pack’s defense was better against the Cowboys than it was in the loss to San Diego State.

But still not to the level he would like it.

He cited communication and players’ stances while both guarding the ball and off the ball as a few of the many fundamentals the Pack needs to improve.

“We had slippage in the (San Diego) State game and we didn’t have a whole of improvement in this game, from a defensive standpoint,” Alford said Saturday night.

Nevada’s offense was much better, though, than in the loss to the Aztecs. The Pack took better shots and eliminated bad shots.

Alford said Price played more of a complete game than he has most of the season.

Price said the Pack’s defense was not good, but played better in the second half and that as why the Pack won.

“We’re a lot better defensively than what we’ve been showing the past two games,” Price said. “We know if were going to beat Utah State on the road, we’re going to have to get some stops, so that’s what we’re focused on.”

More Key Stats

Nevada outrebounded Wyoming, 38-32. Both teams had nine offensive boards.

Nevada had eight turnovers and Wyoming had six.

The Pack outscored the Cowboys, 38-32, in the paint.

Wyoming’s bench outscored the Pack’s, 31-29.

Out

Nevada’s Joel Armotrading and Tyler Rolison did not play. Armotrading was injured against Washington on Nov. 27 and has not played since. Rolison has a back injury.

Half

Wyoming led, 39-38, at the half. Camper Jr. had 19 points in the first half.

Nevada shot 14-of-27 from the field and 5-of-10 from the ac.

The Cowboys outscored the Wolf Pack in the paint, 22-14.

Up Next

Nevada travels to play at State at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

The Aggies dominated Boise State on Saturday, taking a 93-68 win to improve to 14-1 overall, 5-0 in conference.

Nevada will travel to Logan, Utah on Tuesday, and stay on the road for the following game, at Air Force on Saturday.

“(Utah State) has one of the best crowds in the Mountain West , so we know it’s going to be a very difficult game for us,” Alford said. “We needed to get this one, to get that momentum before we go on the road.”

Alford said if Indiana wins that game, and finished 16-0, it means Indiana will have the only two undefeated season in college major sports as the Hoosiers 1976 basketball team was undefeated.

Alford’s Alma Mater

Alford played college basketball at Indoana.

The Hoosiers are playing Miami for the national football championship on Jan 19.

Steve Alford discusses Nevada’s 92-83 win over Wyoming on Saturday

Nevada men’s basketball coach Steve Alford discusses the Wolf Pack’s 92-83 win over Wyoming on Saturday

Nevada’s Remaining Schedule

Wednesday, Jan. 14, 7 p.m. at Utah State (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Jan. 17, 1 p.m. at Air Force (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Jan. 20, 7 p.m. vs. San Jose State (TV: KNSN, MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Jan. 24, 5 p.m. at New Mexico (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Jan. 27, 7:30 p.m. vs. Grand Canyon (TV: FS1/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Friday, Jan. 30, 7 p.m. vs. UNLV (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Feb. 3, 5 p.m. at Boise State (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 7, 7 p.m. vs. Fresno State (TV: KNSN, MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 14, 7 p.m. at San Diego State (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Feb. 17, 7 p.m. at San Jose State (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 21, 7 p.m. vs. Utah State (TV: FS1/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, Feb. 24, 8 p.m. vs. New Mexico (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, Feb. 28, 7 p.m. at UNLV (TV: CBS Sports Network/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Tuesday, March 3, TBD at Wyoming (TV: MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)
Saturday, March 7, 7 p.m. vs. Air Force (TV: KNSN, MW Network, Ch. 21/Radio: 95.5 FM)

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Nevada

State police union official on Nevada Wild

Published

13 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

State police union official on Nevada Wild

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – Nevada Police Union’s Vice President James Mortimore is on Nevada Wild.

“This is awesome!” the union’s Saturday, Jan. 10, Facebook post said.

All ten episodes of Nevada Wild season one are streaming on HBO Max.

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Nevada

Motorcyclist dies on I-15 near Tropicana, police say

Published

1 day ago

January 10, 2026

Press Room

Motorcyclist dies on I-15 near Tropicana, police say

LAS VEGAS (FOX5) — Nevada State Police said a motorcyclist is dead after a crash on I-15 near the Las Vegas Strip Friday.

Police said the crash happened just before 7 p.m. at I-15 northbound at Tropicana Avenue. The crash involves the motorcyclist, a sports utility vehicle, and a commercial motor vehicle.

The motorcyclist died at the scene, police say.

A social media post from Nevada State Police just before 8 p.m. says the closure could last for four to six hours. Drivers in the area are being diverted to exit at Tropicana Avenue.

Traffic Alert – Las Vegas, NV
1/9/2026 – 6:54 p.m.: The Nevada Highway Patrol is currently investigating a fatal crash on the I15 Northbound at Tropicana Avenue.
The I15 is closed to all northbound traffic at Tropicana Avenue.
This closure is expected for the next four to… pic.twitter.com/JFfsahlLMU
— Nevada State Police (@NVStatePolice) January 10, 2026