Farewell to Gumby: Honoring One of Tohono Chul’s Most Beloved Saguaros
July 20, 2026“End? No, the journey doesn’t end here. Death is just another path, one that we all must take. The grey rain-curtain of this world rolls back, and all turns to silver glass, and then you see it. White shores, and beyond, a far green country under a swift sunrise.” — J.R.R. Tolkien
Farewell to Gumby: Honoring One of Tohono Chul’s Most Beloved Saguaros
By Jack Dash, Gardens & Facilities Manager, and Karen Hayes, Assistant Curator & Collections Manager
Last week, Tohono Chul said goodbye to one of its most iconic residents.
Our beloved crested saguaro, affectionately known as Gumby, was a favorite among visitors, volunteers, and staff for decades. Estimated to be well over 100 years old, Gumby spent the last 29 years of his life at Tohono Chul, where he stood as a remarkable symbol of the beauty, resilience, and wonder of the Sonoran Desert.
A Truly One-of-a-Kind Saguaro
Crested (or cristate) saguaros are among the rarest natural wonders of the Sonoran Desert. Unlike a typical saguaro, whose cells divide upward to form a single growing stem, the cells of a crested saguaro divide outward, creating a distinctive fan-shaped crown.
While the exact cause of cresting remains a mystery, one estimate suggests it occurs in only about one out of every 200,000 saguaros. Each crested saguaro develops its own unique form, making every specimen unlike any other.
Gumby’s journey to Tohono Chul began in 1997, when he was discovered growing in a gravel pit owned by Granite Construction Co. To preserve this extraordinary cactus, the company donated him to Tohono Chul. Former Plant Curator Russ Buhrow led the effort, while Catalina Cactus generously donated its time, expertise, and specialized saguaro-hauling truck to safely relocate Gumby to his new home along the Saguaro Discovery Trail.
Following his transplant, Gumby required careful monitoring for two years while he became established. Over the next 27 years, he continued to thrive, even producing new arms from his remarkable crest.
More than just a beautiful specimen, Gumby became a thriving desert habitat. Birds nested in the three cavities carved into his trunk, countless other wildlife found shelter among his arms, and even prickly pear cacti took root in pockets of soil collected high in his crest.
A Living Symbol of Ecology and Culture of the Sonoran Desert
Saguaros have always inspired awe and appreciation in humans. For the Tohono O’odham and other desert dwellers, the saguaro is a keystone species, not just ecologically, but culturally. The saguaro fruit harvest marks the start of the new year in the O’odham calendar, and the ritual consumption of saguaro wine is an act of reverence that helps produce life-giving summer rains. In some O’odham stories, the saguaro cactus itself began life as an O’odham child, and these plants are considered kin.
O’odham poet and weaver Angelina Saraficio beautifully captured this relationship:
A saguaro cactus stands by my house.
It is our plant and also our friend.
Did you hear that the saguaro cactus is also O’odham?
I heard, and I truly respect it.
Gumby Lives On
It is easy to love a saguaro, and it is natural to mourn the passing of these desert giants. And yet, in nature, death is never the end. As Gumby begins the long process of decomposition, he will form a so-called “rot-pocket”, a crucial source of water in an arid environment. Slowly but surely, the decades of moisture stored in this plant’s cells will be distributed back to the ecosystem. Fungi, bacteria, and insects are already at work on the rotting flesh of this cactus, turning the sweet-putrid ooze into new life.
Our gardens team will document this cycle, and our docents and volunteers will share this knowledge with our visitors, ensuring that even in death, Gumby remains a part of the Tohono Chul family.
