supposedly it still stands. Somewhere around Los Planes.
If that is true, I would sure as heck make a side trip to see that ancient plant!
It had to be several hundred years old when that photo was taken. I have seen some really tall ones before, but nothing with that kind of spread.David K - 3-9-2024 at 10:28 AM
Well, after dozens of comments on my two Baja Facebook groups where I also posted this photo (VivaBaja and BajaMissions), I am bowing to the potential
truth that this is neither a cardón nor in Baja California. Seems to be a photo taken in Puebla according to Nathan Velasco and others.chippy - 3-9-2024 at 10:41 AM
That cactus is a Pachycereus Weberi, more common in Southern Mexico.mtgoat666 - 3-9-2024 at 10:44 AM
Looks like an organ pipe cactuschippy - 3-9-2024 at 10:54 AM
That cactus is a Pachycereus Weberi, more common in Southern Mexico.
Thank you. What are the common names?
One I see is 'candelabro' which makes sense. Any English common names?
[Edited on 3-9-2024 by David K]PaulW - 3-9-2024 at 11:02 AM
So you all wont have to look it up
Pachycereus weberi is known as candelabro, or Cardón. Espinoso (the common name being an obvious. reference to the resemblance of plants to
candelabras). Its distribution ranges across desert scrub.
Pachycereus weberi is widespread in the Mexican states of Puebla, Guerrero, Morelos, Chihuahua and Oaxaca at altitudes of 600 to 1,500 m.David K - 3-9-2024 at 11:08 AM
Thanks Paul. So, because it is called cardón, as is the Baja giant cactus, and photographed by Léon Diguet of Santa Rosalía (in 1895), the error of
thinking this was a Baja cactus is understandable.BigOly - 3-10-2024 at 02:38 PM
About 25 years ago we had a large cardon cactus fall down by our new pool due to water leak damage. Our gardener told a story about a huge cardon his
family usually had lunch under when he was a kid to help beat the heat. One day while they were leaving the cactus after finishing lunch, a cow as
usual came by to pick up leftover scraps. The family heard this loud crunching sound, turned to see the cardon had fallen over on the cow and killed
it. Close call!!!
[Edited on 3-11-2024 by BigOly]surfhat - 3-11-2024 at 09:53 AM
Not a Cardon but in the 70's my friends and I were on our way out the Palo Escopeta to the East Cape and came across a truly beautiful fig tree at a
bend in the trail that had grown around the 30' high rock face. This was off the main road which wasn't much of a road at the time. The smooth fig
tree had molded itself around every boulders shape.
We did go back a couple of times over the years in the 80's to find it when the surf was not happening for a cool picnic spot and a couple of cold
beers in the shade with a nice wisp of a breeze that had made its way up the arroyo from the beach around Vinorama, maybe 5? miles away. It was a
great diversion with nothing but the desert birds a chirping and that slight cooling breeze in the shade of Fig tree. It felt almost spiritual being
out there.
I doubt I could find it these days and hope it has survived. It was Mother Nature's artwork at her finest with that Fig trunk and limbs wrapping
itself around the boulders so perfectly smooth and tight against the rock wall.
I have some pics somewhere of our visit this specimen if I could find them. That is a big if after 40 plus years. Happy trails to all of you Nomads.
David K - 3-11-2024 at 04:12 PM
Cool story, surfhat. Those wild fig trees seem to grow out of and across the face of cliffs!
Here is a reported old (1895) vs new (2016) photo of the big cactus... I am not convinced it is the same plant. I see what looks like large boulders
on the right background in 1895 but are missing in 2016...?
BigOly - 3-11-2024 at 07:52 PM
Looks like the same plant to me. The soil has washed away making changes. The base(trunk) looks the same to me.geoffff - 3-11-2024 at 09:14 PM
Cool find, David!
Is the photo is taken from the opposite side?! The lone straight finger on the left (1895) is on the right in the 2016 photo.
So little change in 100 years makes me think it's much older than 200 years
[Edited on 3-12-2024 by geoffff]geoffff - 3-11-2024 at 09:28 PM
The 2016 photo says, "I took this picture somewhere between Puebla and Guadalajara Mexico. It's right next to the highway and absolutely beautiful."
[Edited on 3-12-2024 by geoffff]geoffff - 3-11-2024 at 09:44 PM
"Baja California, Mexico, circa 1895 by Léon Diguet
The French historian and naturalist Léon Diguet made six scientific expeditions to Mexico between 1893 and 1913. An autodidact, he wrote over 40
articles based on his travels (on such diverse subjects as botany, archeology, anthropology and linguistics) and was one of the first scientists to
use photography to illustrate his research writings. With only a few copies of this photograph known to exist in the world, this image of a Cardon
cactus (nearly 8m tall and weighing roughly 10 tons) shows a spectacular example of a plant of this species."David K - 3-12-2024 at 11:57 AM
Your photo detective skills are great, geoffff!
In the last reply: "Baja California, Mexico, circa 1895 by Léon Diguet"
Are you saying that the big cactus in the 1895 photo IS in Baja?
Do you have access to his book where that photo first appeared and does it caption or mention where the photo was taken?
One thing that appears different to me, is the branches are 'thinner' in the modern photos when compared to the people. The old photo does look like
'fat' cardón branches...?
