View of the razor-sharp needles of the golden barrel cactus. This is one plant you don’t want to tangle with! Native to central Mexico, its popular name is Golden Barrel Cactus or Golden Ball. Wittily enough, this cactus is often referred to as the Mother-in-Law’s Cushion.

Echinocactus is a genus of cacti in the subfamily Cactoideae. The generic name derives from the Ancient Greek echinos, meaning “spiny,” and cactus. It and Ferocactus are the two genera of barrel cactus. Members of the genus usually have heavy spination and relatively small flowers. The fruits are copiously woolly, and this is one major distinction between Echinocactus and Ferocactus. Propagation is by seed.

Perhaps the best known species is the golden barrel (Echinocactus grusonii) from Mexico, an easy-to-grow and widely cultivated plant. Though common in the houseplant and landscape industry, the golden barrel has become very rare in habitat.

EXIF Data

Camera Type: NIKON D3100
Lens: 18.0-55.0 mm f/3.5-5.6
Date Taken: 3/11/13
Aperture: f/22.0
Shutter Speed: 1/125
ISO: 400
Exposure Mode: Manual
Focal Length: 55.0 mm
White Balance: Auto
Metering Mode: Center Weight
Light Source (In Camera): N/A
Flash: N/A
Light Source (External): Early morning cloudy weather
Size: 968 KB
Location: 4361 Custis Avenue, Sacramento, California
Latitude: 38,32.7424N
Longitude: 121,29.8172W
Elevation: 7.70 m