Golden Barrel Cactus

Golden Barrel Cactus (Echinocactus grusonii), Tohono Chul Park, Tucson

The Golden Barrel Cactus is native to the southwestern United States and Mexico. This cactus grows very slowly; at full size it will be 2 to 4 feet in height and up to 2.5 feet wide. It is evergreen. The trunk is a single ribbed column, with golden yellow spines growing along each rib. It blooms in summer; the bright yellow flowers are 1-2 inches wide.

The Golden Barrel Cactus is considered a rare and endangered plant in the wild. According to the U.S. Botanic Garden:

In 1990, populations of Echinocactus grusonii were the focus of an intensive rescue effort in the Rio Moctezuma Valley in Mexico. This valley, the primary habitat of the golden barrel cactus, was scheduled to be flooded after the construction of a major dam. A Mexican botanical garden hurried to remove these and other rare plants prior to the dam’s construction. Though few Echinocactus grusonii remain in the wild today, their off-site conservation has allowed for widespread propagation by nurseries and botanical gardens, and the golden barrel cactus is now one of the most popular cacti in cultivation.