Cactus plugging

Cactus plugging is the practice of vandalizing or destroying a cactus, usually a saguaro, for fun. Typically the cactus is cut open, drained, then packed with explosives and ignited. In another variation, the vandal simply shoots bullets into the cactus body until portions fall off or the entire cactus falls over.

In one well known incident in 1982, one David Grundman was killed when an arm of the saguaro he was "plugging" fell on him. A song by the Austin Lounge Lizards poked fun at Grundman's death. The plant was destroyed in an outburst of flames in the summer of 2001.

The act of cactus plugging, if performed on a saguaro, is illegal, as the species is endangered. In any case, it is a particularly destructive form of vandalism, as saguaros require over a hundred years to reach a substantial height.

External link

• The Grundman accident