"Researchers are unraveling the complex symbiotic relationship between fungi and the saguaro cactus, which is increasingly at risk from climate change."

"With sizzling temperatures and a parched climate, it can be hard to survive in the Sonoran Desert of Arizona. But some species have evolved to thrive in this extreme environment, including the iconic saguaro cactus. Part of the reason for this prickly plant’s success is its intimate relationship with a smaller—but similarly mighty—desert player: fungi. 

A team of researchers is working to uncover the mysterious symbiotic relationship that mycorrhizal fungi have formed with the cacti, which are increasingly threatened by climate change and urban development. My colleague Wyatt Myskow, ICN’s Southwest reporter, recently joined a few of these researchers on a trip to the Sonoran Desert to see this effort firsthand. I asked Wyatt to tell me more about his experience covering the secret lives of cacti and fungi—and the compounding risks they face."

Kiley Price reports for Inside Climate News September 30, 2025. [2]