Echinocactus grusonii

	Echinocactus grusonii	CACTUS ART NURSERY Cultivation and Mail Sale of Cacti and Succulents.

A young specimen

Description: It has a single slowly growing globe-shaped stem that became elongated (barrel-shaped) in maturity, up to 90cm (180cm) in height and spread. This stem is pale green and heavily ribbed with numerous areoles sprouting radial, yellow spines. They normally offset with advanced age and a few multiples occur even at small sizes.
The flowers are produced from end of spring to summer only on larger mature specimens receiving enough full sun. Flower are diurnal, vivid yellow (4-5 cm wide) and form a circular ring at the top of the plant, but are not very visible being small in relation with the size of the barrel, and lost into the creamy coloured wool at the plant apex.

SOME CULTIVARS:
Echinocactus grusonii var. albispina	Echinocactus grusonii monstruosus clone A	Echinocactus grusonii brevispinus	Echinocactus grusonii brevispinus cristata
Echinocactus grusonii cristata	Echinocactus grusonii var. curvipinus (cv. Krauskopf)	*Echinocactus grusonii* setispinus mostruosus	*Echinocactus grusonii "intermedius"*

How to Grow E. grusonii from seeds. E. grusonii will produce hundreds of fruits each season. Several months after the flower dies off and the pods are ripen it is possible to collect them from under the dried flower. The pods will come off with a slight twist, leaving the wool on the cactus. Use a knife to slice down one side of the pod to expose the seed and scrape them out. The seeds are mahogany or reddish amber and tiny. Then place the seeds in some water to soak overnight. Fill germination trays with a well blended mixture of 60% peat moss 40% vermiculite and one to one part of coarse sand or pumice. Use a horse syringe to suck the small seeds and some of the water into the syringe. With the syringe, distribute the seeds evenly in the germination tray, shaking the syringe so the seeds don't settle at the bottom and all come out at once. Some growers also recommend to cold-stratify seeds in a refrigerator for a year prior to sow them. But can also be used dry seeds too. Place then the trays in filtered sun, cover with a glass sheet and keep the soil moist until the seeds germinate in approximately 2 to 6 weeks. They will look like small spheres, red in colour not green. Then gradually remove the glass cover. When the small cacti start to sprout tiny spines, use a pair of tweezers to transfer them from the propagation trays into 5 cm pots filled with the same soil mix used in the germination trays. Allow the small cacti to grow for about one/two year and then move the cacti to 10 cm pots and allow them to grow further.

Family: Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

Scientific Name: Echinocactus grusonii

Vernacular Names:

Golden barrel cactus,
Golden ball cactus,
Mother-in-law's-seat,
Mother-in-law's-cushion.

Distribution: Rio Moctezuma Valley, Queretaro Central Mexico
Habitat: The intense overcollection in its native habitat has led this plant becoming endangered in the wild, for this reason E. grusonii were the focus of an intensive rescue effort. In fact the Rio Moctezuma Valley, the native habitat of this cactus, was scheduled to be flooded after the construction of a major dam. A Mexican botanical garden hurried to remove these and other rare plants prior to the dam’s construction. Despite the fact that few plant remain in the wild today, their off-site conservation has allowed for extensive propagation by nurseries, and the golden barrel cactus is now one of the most common cacti in cultivation.
Note: Older specimens take on an oblong shape with age. They also tend to lean to the south or southwest so that the spines can better protect the body of the plant from the harsh desert sun. In fact, desert travellers can use the plant as a compass.

The juvenile Echinocactus look quite
different from the mature specimens.

In fact like the other Echinocactus and Ferocactus seedlings, the rib structure is not yet apparent, and they have pronounced tubercles making them look superficially like Mammillarias.

Landscape value: E. grusonii is a wonderful popular plant for adding texture, colour and shape to landscapes, it gives a huge dose of impact. The striking round shape and the dramatic golden bright-yellow spines that absolutely light up in daylight, especially when backlit are unique. It is an eye catcher without equal. Unlike many plants, the "golden barrels" get more and more beautiful as they grow. As old specimens they can be truly majestic. They are best planted close together among large rocks or boulders.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Echinocactus grusonii:

E. grusonii
E. grusonii forma cristata
E. grusonii "albispina"
E. grusonii "brevispinus" (inermis cv. TOGENASHI KINSHACHI)
E. grusonii "brevispinus" forma cristata
E. grusonii "intermedius"
E. grusonii cv. krauskopf (curvispinus)
E. grusonii cv. krauskopf forma cristata
E. grusonii minor cristata
E. grusonii forma mostruaosa
E. grusonii forma mostruosa cristata
E. grusonii setispinus
E. grusonii setispinus mostruosus cv. Scarascia forma minor mostruosa (cristata)

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This plant description is based on research and personal experiences, and is too short to provide a comprehensive coverage of the subject. Do you see an error in what is shown? Or do you know more about the species than we are showing? Your help is greatly appreciated. Why not send us an email with further information or photos so that we can correct or extend the information provided?

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