Hardiness zones
Sunset 12-24
USDA 9-11 (arid zones only)

Landscape Use: Stout accent or specimen barrel cactus for xeric landscapes, cactus or desert gardens, containers.

Form & Character: These are stout, slowly developing columnar cacti that like other Ferocactus species evoke feelings of being solitary or alone.

Growth Habit: Evergreen, perennial succulent, slow growing and long-lived, columnar eventually to 10-feet tall by 1.5-feet wide, will sparsely branch or clump at its base with age. The fluted ribs of both species tend to revolve about elongating stem trunk that eventually leans to the south over time.

Foliage/Texture: Arizona barrel cactus has stiff reddish to gray-curved spines found growing on the ridges in clusters at each aerole, somtimes hooked towards the stem terminus, VERY coarse texture.

Flowers & Fruits: Arizona barrel cacti have ringed clusters of small cup-shaped flowers at the terminal meristem in shades of red to orange to yellow, flower sepals are red. Flowering is followed by development of yellow, oval-shaped, scaly fruit, densely arranged in number at the stem apex, generally fleshy and indehiscent to 3/4-inch long at the apex of the barrel. Each fruit contain as many as 30,000 seeds.

Seasonal Color: Flowers provide a subtle visual accent during the early summer heat of May, while fruits add a nice accent during the fall and winter.

Temperature: Tolerant

Light: Full sun

Soil: In urban landscape soils with limited topography (slope), compass barrel cacti REQUIRE a well-drained soil.

Watering: None required. Mature landscape specimens if irrigated can become engorged and might eventually topple to the ground from their own weight, uprooting themselves.

Pruning: None

Propagation: Seed

Disease and Pests: Root rot in poorly drained soils.

Additional comments: Arizona barrel cacti are easily transplanted and are nice solitary cacti for rock gardens and desert landscape themes. Arizona barrel cacti without revolving ridges about their barrel tend to grow faster on their shady side which cause then to lean in a southerly (south to southwest) direction, hence the other common name "compass cactus". This tendency can be affected by a plant's juxaposition in the urban landscape to other elements like buildings and trees that affect the amount and direction of direct sun exposure.

Taxonomic tidbits: The genus name Ferrocactus is from the Latin 'ferox' which means ferocious. Ferocactus species taxonomy is confused due to variable phenology.

Special request: Protect our local desert habitats!! Buy only nursery grown specimens. Exercise restraint, and do not "harvest" Arizona barrel cactus from the desert for yourself or anyone else.