Golden barrel cactus

Echinocactus grusonii

Description

The Golden barrel cactus is the most popular barrel-type cactus planted in Inland Empire landscapes and gardens. It grows with 20-40 pronounced vertical ribs, spherical shape and colorful blond to golden colored spines. It often reaches 18-30 in. in dia.; older plants will grow larger as well as produce offsets that result in clumps containing several plants growing 5-6 ft. across.

Golden barrel cactus is native to central Mexico where it is well adapted to warm and sunny climate conditions and periods of extended drought. In landscapes and gardens it needs good soil drainage to avoid rotting and will grow quicker when provided with monthly summer water. It is widely used in containers, for mass plantings and as an accent feature around rocks.

Plant Type: Cacti
Foliage Character: Evergreen
Habit: Clumping, Symmetrical, Solitary, Compact
Growth Rate: Slow
Foliage Color: Light green
Flower Color: Yellow
Flower Season: Summer
Soil Adaptations: Well-draining soil
Exposure Adaptations: Heat, Drought, Aridity, All day sun, Wind
Function: Specimen, Rock gardens, Residential spaces, Raised planters, Mass planting, Grouped, Foliage accent plant, Container plant, Borders, Banks
Height: 12 in. – 24 in.
Width: 18 in. – 30 in.

Watering Schedule: Low 1

For most situations, we recommend watering deeply every 3-4 weeks after establishment.

Learn how to apply this watering schedule to your landscape on our How to water waterwise and California native plants page.

Important Notes

These are general guidelines. Always observe and adjust as necessary for your landscape.
If it rains over 1” you will likely not need to water for at least another 3-4 weeks. Before watering again, check the soil. It should be significantly dry at least 4” below the soil surface before watering.
If you have a “smart timer” or weather sensitive irrigation controller, it is best not to use the automatic weather adjusting features for plants in this category. While very useful for watering higher water demanding plants, those in this category have natural drought adaptations which mean they do not need to be watered more in warm weather. Using the weather adjusting features will result in either overwatering in summer or underwatering in fall and spring.
It is important to group plants with the same water needs together in the landscape to avoid needing to over or under water plants when running your irrigation system.