Our Saguaro and Prickly Pear (opuntia) Cactus Weathervane was first commissioned by a resident of California’s beautiful Mojave Desert. If someone had the time to chart it, we’d probably find that nature themed designs depicting and celebrating the flora and fauna of the mounted weather vane’s locale are among our most popular. Here these glorious, and in the case of the Saguaro—endangered, cactus are looking noble and proud on their arrow and fletching. We worked with our client on this design. He had a very clear idea of what he wanted and we translated his design ideas into a functioning weather vane that would be structurally strong enough to withstand the desert winds. A Security Device was also optioned for this piece, because the winds of the Mojave can be brutal at times.

The sculpture piece, as pictured above, has the Saguaro cactus in brass and the Opuntia in copper. These two metals will weather and patina to have very subtle and enhancing differences in their shades. They are fabricated in Swell-Bodied Style. There are ‘Lucky Pennies’ from significant years in our customer’s life affixed to the bases of the cacti and capping the arrow and fletching. Attached to the arrow’s shaft there are two inscription plates; one on each side. What a lovely heirloom to pass down through the generations in such a celebrated locale.

You can learn more about the emblematic Saguaro, and why it is protected in some regions, here. Saguaros have a long lifespan, often exceeding 150 years. They often grow their first side arm around 75–100 years of age, but some never grow any arms. Arms develop to increase the plant’s reproductive capacity, as more arms lead to more flowers and fruit. A saguaro can absorb and store considerable amounts of rainwater, visibly expanding in the process, while slowly using the stored water as needed. This characteristic enables the saguaro to survive during periods of drought. It is a keystone species, providing food and habitat to a large number of desert dwellers.