Arizona centennial cactus debuts

by Yvonne Wingett Sanchez – Jan. 5, 2012 09:17 PM
The Republic | azcentral.com

Gov. Jan Brewer unveiled a decades-old saguaro cactus on Thursday in honor of Arizona’s 100 years of statehood.

At 70 to 100 years old and about 21 feet tall, the saguaro at the Wesley Bolin Memorial Plaza is part of a larger effort to beautify the Capitol Mall to prepare for the state’s official Feb. 14 centennial.

Senate President-elect Steve Pierce, R-Prescott, and other state and business representatives joined Brewer at the unveiling.

Brewer, who enjoys gardening, said she was delighted with the saguaro and the work of the Arizona Centennial Commission, which is planning a series of events to commemorate the centennial.

“This project is one that will last far into our second century,” Brewer told the crowd. ” I will tell people that we left our mark on Arizona not only with a more efficient government, but with gardens and grass and trees and cactus. And for a gardener … I find that a very, very satisfying legacy.”