It would take a lot of tools and know-how to be successful with the cactus, and more importantly, all native wild cacti are protected by state laws it is illegal to take or destroy any native cactus. Best to bring enough drinking water from home in your reusable bottle. While animals and indigenous peoples have been able to extract liquid from these cacti, I would caution against thinking that it will save you in case you forgot to bring water with you on a long hike. As with many barrel cactus plants, the stiff yellow needles grow in clusters along ribs of the cactus. One of the myths about the Barrel Cactus is that they contain a reservoir of water that can be tapped and drunk. The golden barrel cactus plant is an attractive and cheerful specimen, rounded and growing to as much as three feet tall and three feet around much like a barrel, hence the name.Be careful, though, as it has long dangerous spines. Ive traveled to Arizona to see my grandparents just about.
![barrel cactus barrel cactus](https://d1ja9tyo8nbkbc.cloudfront.net/45897970_S0230/S0230/S0230-R0100/20220619034720524497000000/20220619034720524497000000-1.jpg)
Large plants may topple over when it rains due to the excess weight and soft wet soil. Barrel cactus fruit, also known as muppets you can eat, or the Bert and Ernie of desert edibles. However, I caution against using it for navigation, as I have seen them face other directions too. They are often called Compass Barrels because large plants often lean to the southwest. These cacti are usually 2-4 feet tall, but of course are smaller when younger.
![barrel cactus barrel cactus](https://images.fineartamerica.com/images/artworkimages/mediumlarge/3/barrel-cactus-at-anthem-in-maricopa-county-arizona-usa-norm-lane.jpg)
Look for large barrel shaped cactus with ribs bearing spines with a strongly fish hook- shaped center spine. The Barrel Cactus is easy to identify on shape alone. The plant itself is eaten by giant cactus beetles, jackrabbits, packrats and again, the javelina. Fruit and seeds are eaten by rodents, birds, mule deer, bighorn sheep and javelina. Most of the Ferocactus flower in summer and are pollinated by bees. Our Barrel Cactus, so common in Sabino and around Tucson, is one of many cacti with the epithet ‘Barrel.’ The cacti of the genus Ferocactus are varied and can range from less than a foot tall to as much as 12 feet. The bright orange red flowers and yellow fruit are truly delightful to behold this time of year. It’s been a long, extremely dry summer here. On one of my recent walks I noticed that the Barrel Cactus (Ferocactus wislizeni) was beginning to bloom. Keep it in a sunny window during the growing season and it will be very happy. These deserts are found in the land of Speedy and the Roadrunner: Baja, Arizona, California, Texas, and Central Mexico. The Barrel Cactus loves a good level of sunlight. The Barrel cactus is found in the Mojave, Sonora, and the Chihuahua deserts. Ensure it doesn’t sit in temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit (4 degrees Celsius) in Winter. Sometimes we don’t notice the wonder and beauty of some of the more common plants. The Barrel Cactus grows best in temperatures between 50-70 degrees Fahrenheit (10-21 degrees Celsius).
![barrel cactus barrel cactus](https://i.pinimg.com/736x/b2/b9/1f/b2b91fe2bbc3af70c0cbaaeebfac8707.jpg)
The cacti of the genus Ferocactus are varied and can range from less than a foot tall to as much as 12 feet The barrel cactus is used as a compass by travellers in the desert, as they tend to grow faster on their shady (northern) side away from the harsh desert sun, and so lean to the south or south-west.