Fishhook barrel cactus

Ferocactus wislizeni

Family:: Cactaceae
Elevation:: 1,000 ft – 5,600 ft
Bloom:: Jul – Sep
Region:: Southwest

A stout, ribbed barrel armed with hooked red spines that leans toward the southwest with age, topped in late summer by a crown of orange-to-yellow flowers and, later, yellow pineapple-like fruit. A rugged sculptural fixture of desert slopes.

Care · tuned to the Southwest

Water

Very drought tolerant; stores water in its ribbed body and needs little supplemental irrigation. Water lightly in the warm growing season only; cool-season overwatering and poor drainage cause basal rot.

Sun & exposure

Full sun with strong reflected-heat tolerance; long-established plants often lean south or southwest.

Soil

Requires gritty, rocky, alkaline, fast-draining soil; will rot in heavy or wet ground.

In the Southwest

Hardier than many desert cacti and tolerates the region's mid-desert winters, but young plants appreciate protection from hard freezes. The central spines are hooked and can catch skin and clothing. Flowers and fruit feed native bees, birds, and mammals; fruit persists into winter.

Common problems & fixes

Overwatering and basal rot — soft brown mush at the base from too much water
Fix — Plant in fast-draining mineral soil, water only in the warm season, and keep dry through winter.
Cochineal scale — white cottony masses on the ribs that bleed red when crushed
Fix — Blast colonies off with a strong jet of water and treat heavy cases with horticultural oil.

Pets & toxicity

No known toxicity to pets; the stout hooked spines are the real hazard.

Easy to confuse with

Compass/coville barrel (Ferocactus emoryi) — flatter spines, less strongly hooked
California barrel (Ferocactus cylindraceus) — often more yellowish spines

Sources

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