How Do You Spell Saguaro?

Photo Credit: Gerry Morgan

Blushing Saguaro. How do you even spell saguaro? What’s more, how do you pronounce saguaro?

suh·waa·row

I spent my childhood in southeast Arizona. While I still can’t believe that in a few short years, I’ll have lived away from my home state longer than I lived in it, the mountains, the desert, the sunsets will always be home.

When it came time to name my business, I knew it had to pay homage to those roots. Even as the years press on living in the South, I’ll always be a westerner.

 Saguaro cactus came to mind, mainly because they are found exclusively in the Sonoran Desert (southern Arizona and western Sonora, Mexico). The saguaro is slow-growing, but if you’ve ever walked up next to one, you’d feel their impressive stature—sometimes as tall as 60 feet.

They’re strong, they’re sturdy, and they’re a silent sentinel of the past—living up to 200 years. When I think about design, especially in our homes, I’m drawn to strength, stability—something rooted in heritage and standing the test of time. It kind of feels like a mighty giant cactus.

And I haven’t even gotten to the best part.

We’ve covered the “Saguaro” part of the name, but why did I add “Blushing?”

Saguaros will bloom in late spring, exploding with beautiful white flowers. But the blossoms are rare and fleeting, only blooming less than 24 hours. They have a very short window of time to attract pollinators. Because by summer, the delicate white flowers transform into bright red fruit. Quickly going from pale to crimson like the blush on our cheeks.

I see design as steadfast, timeless, and a nod to where we all come from. But yet, it should be beautiful and unique and not something seen every day.

That’s it. That’s the story. #suhwaarow

2022 Update: You might notice a change in our name. We’re now Saguaro West. Same roots, same style, a little twist.