Fishhook barrel cactus
Ferocactus wislizeni (Engelm.) Britton & Rose
Also called fishhook barrel cactus, candy barrel.
Large native barrel cactus with hooked spines and a crown of orange to yellow flowers in summer, followed by yellow fruit eaten by wildlife.
Size over time
Typical landscape size 0.6–1.5 m (2–5 ft) tall and 0.5–0.6 m (1–2 ft) wide; slow growth, about 30 years to maturity. Intermediate sizes use the planner’s growth curve (k = 0.12) from the #5 install size.
Bloom
Orange-yellow flowers, Jul–Sep (northern-hemisphere months; timing shifts with region and season).
| Plant | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fishhook barrel cactus : Jul–Sep |
Design notes
- Barrels lean south with age; plant with the original south face oriented south.
- Keep well away from walks and play areas.
Regions
Native range: Sonoran and Chihuahuan Deserts of Arizona, New Mexico, Texas and Mexico.
Native to these OpenLandscape3D pilot regions:
Native status describes where the species occurs naturally. It is not a promise that it suits a particular garden; site conditions decide that.
Related plants
Plan with Fishhook barrel cactus
Place it in a design, check it against your zone, light and moisture, and see it at year three and year ten.