Happy Cactus MondayHuge fake saguaros have been springing up in the foothills. Not at Sabino Canyon, but along roads. They are cell phone towers disguised as cacti to blend in with the natural desert scenery.
In the photo below, the old telephone poles and wires are more noticeable than the saguaro cell tower (in the middle of the image).
I followed progress on this cell tower camouflage on Sunrise Drive for about a month. Now the structure looks more like part of the Sonoran Desert landscape.
This morning a deer walked right past the cactus impostor without giving it a second glance.
After observing construction on one stealth cell tower, I noticed a couple more phony saguaros nearby, complete with simulated woodpecker nest holes.
For comparison, below are some real saguaros at Sabino Canyon. Granted, the fake cacti do look slightly different from authentic saguaros. But I think the artificial ones succeed in making the cell towers look less obtrusive.
Here are some examples of cell towers camouflaged as trees. Perhaps you've discovered some cell towers in your area cloaked as palm trees, windmills or clock towers. Some disguises can be quite creative.For more cactus posts, visit Cactus Monday at Teri's Painted Daisies.
This is very interesting. But won't you be surprised when these Cacti bloom!
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures! I've seen the palm tree ones too around town. I am all for less wires and poles! Happy Cactus Monday!
ReplyDeleteFunny post. Amazing how they can hide them.
ReplyDeleteinnovative ideas!enjoyed the post!
ReplyDeleteYou found them!! I was looking for them before I left and never did. I didn't realize there were so many. Love the comparisons.
ReplyDeleteHCM!
Thanks for sharing these. I was very amused when I noticed fake palm trees around Palm Springs and kept my eye out for more cell towers after that. I noticed some fake fir trees in Oregon.
ReplyDeleteThere's a theme here!
Now I'll wonder if the cactus I take a picture of is real or is it a cell tower. How interesting!
ReplyDeleteWoooo Diane.. That's neat that they are doing that---to keep the area looking natural... Wow!!!!
ReplyDeleteWish someone would come and make the old telephone pole in our yard look like a pretty tree... ha ha
Have a great Monday.
Hugs,
Betsy
what an interesting post, not sure if i like or dislike the fact that they use natural habitat to hide cell thingies...grrr.
ReplyDeleteFrank Lloyd Wright would have approved of the cell towers blending in with the landscape!
ReplyDeleteGreat shots!
Happy cactus Monday ;)
Hilarious. We always giggle about the palm tree and pine tree ones in our area because they look too perfect to blend in very well. The saguaros seem to work better!
ReplyDeleteAmazing! I like this!
ReplyDeleteOf course there is nothing like the real thing, but as poles they are ok. Then they are better than the real thing.
HCM!
Fascinating...I know just the spot where you took your photo...We have lots of the palm tree variety here in Surprise...I love the Cypress and the pines too...Amazing artwork! HCM!
ReplyDeleteWe have cell towers that look like palm trees and pine trees.
ReplyDeleteKay
We have some palm tree ones here in south florida! It is a genius idea!!!
ReplyDeleteIt just started raining here...breaking a 3 month period of drought! We are dancing and singing through the house!!! YES!
Happy Cactus Monday!!!
Of course you can out do us all living in Arizona, beautiful photo of the cactuses!
ReplyDeleteHappy Cactus Monday!
There is no disguise of any kind here in our world..They are all just a plain poles.
ReplyDeleteThat was interesting post!
i saw some fake pines here on roads, good i was able to read about it before that they make poles now look less obtrusive, so, when my husband asked, "what on Earth is that? why would they make a fake tree?" hehehe, so I told him about the many receptor cells that kind of pole can actually handle that the old poles. here, i think they are ugly though :) but your picture of saguaro poles, they look like more real in the picture.
ReplyDeleteWow! I've never heard of this before - what a good idea. I don't know if there are any fake cell-phone towers here in the UK - what would they be, I wonder?
ReplyDeleteI have seen some fake pine trees and a palm or two. Perhaps our cell service will be less likely to be interrupted by vandals if they dont see the real towers. But...whether it's for security or just to blend in...it's better than poles.
ReplyDeletewww.wildlifearoundus.blogspot.com
These towers are superb, I just wonder how amazing they can be if they could reach the highest sky and also reach the heaven....shouldn't be a legend.
ReplyDeleteHe..He..
Thanks, they are all very cool and inspiring!
HCM Diane:)
You really take beautiful cactus pictures.
ReplyDeleteHa! I didn't even realize cell towers were hidden like this! They definitely look better than just a tower. And now I'm wondering about what we have around here, if any towers are hidden within trees...
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea, they blend in better than those posts.
ReplyDeleteGreat shots again. I love to see the types of cacti. BTW, I've added you now on my blog list.
ReplyDeleteUntil I read your comments I thought the cell towers were really cacti.
ReplyDeleteI don't think California does that much in the guise of hiding one foundation for another--I can only think of one or two instances during my lifetime here as a native.
I got more than a few chuckles and laughs from your terminology--aptly put--as the towers being nothing more than serving as an "impostor" and as "camouflage."
I think your fake saguaros look much more realistic than the fake pines here in California.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great idea to hide those towers.
ReplyDeleteVery Great Innovative Idea !! Good Shots Too..
ReplyDelete