About the Senita Cactus

The Senita Cactus is a cactus species found in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona and the Gulf of
California in Mexico. This species of cactus grows around 12 feet tall in clusters. The average
width of a cluster is about 10 feet wide. The Senita Cactus, like most cacti, lives in areas with
hot temperatures. These cacti are to be considered as drought-resistant as they live in
scorching regions with little to no rainfall.

Senita Moth and the Senita Cactus

The senita cactus provides a safe space for the senita moth to lay its eggs. The senita cactus
also provides food for the senita moth. The senita moth provides nocturnal pollination to the
senita cactus. Around 75%-95% of the pollination of the senita cactus comes from the senita
moth. This is a mutual relationship as the senita moth and the senita cactus are benefiting from
each other.

Despite it being a mutual relationship, the senita cactus should theoretically be dying. When the
senita cactus wants to lay its eggs, it lays them within the cactus’s flowers. When the eggs start
to hatch, the babies start to eat the flowers from the inside out lowering the chances to produce
more food. From this, the senita cactus population would be decreasing leading to the extinction
of both species, however, this is not happening.

Benefit To Society

The Senita Cactus is a plant that is beneficial to the native Americans as they had believed that
the fruit on the Senita Cactus is spiritual and powerful. Also, in some parts of the world, because
of how sturdy the senita cactus is, it is sometimes grown on the side of building to provide
strength.

Fun Fact

If the senita cactus becomes monstrose, then flowers tend not to grow on the cactus, however,
through asexual propagation, if you remove a section of the senita cactus to grow a new one, it
will grow with flowers.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070813170037.htm#:~:text=Found%20in%20th
e%20parched%20Sonoran%20desert%20of%20southern%20Arizona%20and,species%20that
%20pollinates%20its%20flowers.
https://www.cs.mcgill.ca/~rwest/wikispeedia/wpcd/wp/c/Cactus.htm