Another 2020 mystery? Centuries-old cacti blooming out of season in Arizona desert

That mysterious metal monolith may have vanished from Utah this week, but neighboring Arizona is now reporting 2020 weirdness of its own.

The giant cacti known as saguaros are suddenly blooming out of season.

“Saguaros are supposed to bloom in May and June, but we saw flowers again all over the park this fall, and some are ripening into November fruit,” Saguaro National Park posted on Facebook on Monday.

“We are not sure if it’s because of the hot, dry summer or not, but we are keeping track of these late bloomers.”

The post prompted Facebook users from other parts of the country to note they, too, were witnessing odd behavior in their plants.

In other parts of Arizona, the prickly pears were budding out of season. In Illinois, it was hyacinth bulbs, and in Southern California, aloe vera, the commenters said.

“Weird that even the plants are confused this year. I’ve seen dandelions, forsythia and roses blooming this week,” one person wrote.

“Climate change is Biblical prophecy,” wrote another.

A cascade of strange occurrences has earned 2020 a reputation for being an unlucky time for mankind, if not apocalyptic.

First came the global coronavirus pandemic, followed by an economic collapse, massive West Coast wildfires, a record hurricane season in the Atlantic and widespread civil unrest.

Then, of course, Utah officials found a 10-foot monolith planted “in the middle of nowhere” last month, and it clearly resembled the alien portal depicted in the movie “2001: A Space Odyssey.” The object was removed under cover of darkness earlier this week, but not before conspiracy theories went viral, many involving aliens.

The recent odd behavior of the saguaro cacti seems to take on more significance due to the plant’s long life span.

“An adult saguaro is generally considered to be about 125 years of age,” the National Park Service reports. “The average life span of a saguaro is probably 150-175 years of age. However, biologists believe that some plants may live over 200 years.”

The saguaro, which can grow to 80 feet tall, is “found only in a small portion of the United States,” in and around Saguaro National Park near Tucson.

This story was originally published December 3, 2020 at 9:25 AM with the headline "Another 2020 mystery? Centuries-old cacti blooming out of season in Arizona desert."