Language Teacher's Desert Discovery: Rare 'Preaching' Cactus Captured on iPhone
Joseph Cyr, an American secondary school language teacher, has captured a remarkable image of a rare double-crested saguaro cactus during a trail run in Saguaro National Park, Arizona. The photograph, taken on an iPhone 16 Pro in 2025, showcases an enormous, human-like plant that Cyr describes as appearing to preach with outstretched arms.
A Personal Journey Across Continents
Born in South Korea, Cyr spent his childhood living in Germany and the United States, specifically in Georgia and Arizona. As an adult, he has resided in Seattle, Paris, and Nicaragua before returning to Arizona. "I took this in Saguaro National Park, on the edge of Tucson," Cyr explains. "It's about an hour north of the US-Mexico border."
The Serendipitous Encounter
During a school holiday, Cyr embarked on a quiet trail run where he encountered only a few people on horseback and this distinctive saguaro cactus. The saguaro is the largest cactus in the United States, growing exclusively in the Sonoran Desert, where the national park is located.
"They can grow as tall as a six-storey building and live for more than two centuries," Cyr notes. "Their first arms don't usually appear until the plant is 70 years old."
A Rare Mutation and Anthropomorphic Charm
This particular saguaro boasts a rare mutation known as cresting. "According to the national park service, among the estimated 2 million saguaros in the park, only about 75 crested saguaros have been found," Cyr adds. The plant's silhouette often resembles people with outstretched arms, leading to anthropomorphisation.
"This cactus looks as if it's proclaiming, preaching, pointing outward and upward," Cyr observes, highlighting its unique, almost whimsical appearance.
Nature's Humour and Awe-Inspiring Scale
While the scale of the cactus is awe-inspiring, Cyr emphasises that nature can also be a source of humour. "Not everything is 'sublime and majestic'. It can be awkward and whimsical, but still leave us with our jaws open," he reflects, underscoring the blend of grandeur and peculiarity in the natural world.
The image serves as a testament to the unexpected beauty found in remote desert landscapes, captured through the lens of modern smartphone technology.
