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It's not the biggest but the most branched I've ever seen.

Did the growing tip die or something?

WOW - That's weird!

gemhunter, the growth point on the main trunk isn't damaged or dead.
It is a healthy Saguaro so far. It is the most branched Saguaro I've seen in the Tucson area.

Ralf, that Saguaro sure is a strange sight. I wonder what caused it to put out all those arms?

Speaking of strange growth, I came across a score of mutant saguaros in the Silverbell Mountains, northwest of Tucson, about five years ago. I never did figure out how they got this way .

I can explain that one I THINK. I think it's a monstrose form..
either that or they got hit repeatedly with really cold conditions, which is what I think makes the arms bend down to the ground like the top one has. But I found one that looked like that in Northwest Maricopa County, near Lake Pleasant. (well actually much closer to New River) at first I thought it was a crested one, til I noticed it was more monstrose formed.

the one Ralf put the picture of, I am not sure at all.. that is the weirdest saguaro I have ever seen. Maybe another monstrose form???

gemhunter178 wrote: Did the growing tip die or something?

no, you can see all the growth points are healthy. I have never seen a saguaro like that. The sagging arms caused by cold are common. I suspect that the ones in Tumamoc's pictures were all hit by cold reapeatedly or something tho. Since there are some many around that look the similar.

Strange growth? Maybe it's normal but the occurrence happens at a low rate. Like a recessive gene.

that would be more like cristate growth.