Plant of the Month – April
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Golden Barrel Cactus
- Echinocactus grusonii
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Everything about this plant makes it a desert gardener’s delight: extreme drought-tolerance, very low maintenance, suitability for both formal and casual landscapes, attractive clumping habit, and glowing spines for added interest.
- Plant Form: Cactus/succulent
- Water Use: Very Low
- Mature Size: 1.5 ft. tall & 2 ft. wide (3 ft. tall and wide in very old plants)
- Exposure: Full Sun, Part Sun
- Bloom Time: Spring (Mar-May), Summer (June – August)
- Native to: Central Mexico
- Hardiness: Cold hardy to 18°F
Golden Barrel Cactus is one of the most popular cacti in cultivation today—one look, and you’ll know why. Bright golden spines line the ribs of this spherical cactus, which lights up in the sun. Older specimens produce offsets around their base, eventually forming large clusters with dozens of individual heads. Yellow flowers form late spring to summer in a ring at the top of the plant on larger, mature plants only, peeking out of the dense patch of white woolly hair that protects the top of the barrel. Planted in mass, these whimsical plants create a dramatic effect, even giving the illusion of rolling hills in a flat landscape. Golden Barrels keep getting more beautiful as they grow, needing very little care or water, and usually only suffer if they get not enough sun or too much irrigation. Plant groups close together among large rocks for impact. Wonderful in containers on sunny porches and in atriums.
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