Golden Barrel Cactus
Location
Cactus & Succulent Garden
- Common Name: Golden Barrel Cactus (Other common names: Golden Ball, Golden Ball Cactus, Asiento de Suegra, Uitsnauatl, Mother-in-Law’s-Cushion, Mother-in-Law’s-Seat, Barril Dorado)
- Scientific Name: Echinocactus grusonii
- Family Name: Cactaceae
- Origin: Mexico
- Height: 2’ – 4’
- Width: 2’ – 4’
- Growth: grows quick at first and then slows down, in about 10 years it may reach about 10” in diameter.
- Zone: 9A – 11
- Light Needs: Full sun
- Salt Tolerance: moderate
- Soil/PH/Texture: will tolerate poor soil, prefers loam and sand, mildly acidic – mildly alkaline, (pH 6.1 – 7.8)
- Soil Moisture: Mesic – Dry Mesic, water when the top inch or two of the soil is dry, not enough sunlight or overwatering are the most common mistakes made for this cactus.
- Drought Tolerance: High
- Pests/Diseases: No serious pests or diseases besides the common mealy bug
- Growing Conditions: easy to grow and low maintenance
- Characteristics: globe shaped stem that becomes barrel shaped as it matures with a pale green, heavily ribbed that sprouts radial yellow spines from its numerous areoles. The blooms are showy pale yellow, 2” – 3” in diameter, and appear in the summer, but only show up after 20 years or so! fruit is wooly
- Propagation: by dividing rhizomes, corms, tubers, bulbs, offsets, taking stem cuttings or planting by seed.
- Wildlife: unknown
- Facts: This plant is an endangered species and is known to have a lifespan of 50 years.
- Designer Considerations: use as a specimen plant, accent in a garden bed, in a rock, cactus, or succulent garden, as a houseplant, a container plant for your patio, perfect for xeriscaping, and even works well as a houseplant.
