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Native Plant Database

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Ferocactus cylindraceus (California barrel cactus)
Cox, Fran

Ferocactus cylindraceus (Engelm.) Orcutt

California barrel cactus, Visnaga

Cactaceae (Cactus Family)

USDA Symbol: FECY

USDA Native Status: Native to U.S.

1 large columnar or barrel-shaped stem; flowers yellow or reddish near base of petals.

The genus name comes from the Latin ferox (fierce), commonly applied to very spiny plants. Candy Barrel Cactus or Fishhook Barrel Cactus (F. wislizenii), which grows from southern Arizona to western Texas and northern Mexico, is used for making cactus candy. It has in each cluster a large spine oriented upward, then sharply curved downward at the tip, and other central spines much stouter than the slender surrounding spines.

 

From the Image Gallery

Plant Characteristics

Duration: Perennial
Habit: Cactus/Succulent
Flower:
Fruit:

Bloom Information

Bloom Time: Apr , May

Distribution

USA: AZ , CA , NV , UT
Native Distribution: Southern California to south-central Arizona.
Native Habitat: Along washes, on gravelly slopes, and on canyon walls in deserts.
USDA Native Status: L48(N)

Benefit

Use Food: Native Americans obtained water from barrel cacti by cutting the top off, making a bowl-shaped depression in the cut surface, and squeezing the surrounding tissue until the depression filled with water.
Conspicuous Flowers: yes

From the National Organizations Directory

According to the species list provided by Affiliate Organizations, this plant is either on display or available from the following:

Santa Barbara Botanic Garden - Santa Barbara, CA

Bibliography

Bibref 995 - Native Landscaping from El Paso to L.A. (2000) Wasowski, S. and A. Wasowski
Bibref 1218 - Tending the Wild: Native American Knowledge and the Management of California's Natural Resources (2006) Anderson, M. Kat

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Recommended Species Lists

Find native plant species by state. Each list contains commercially available species suitable for gardens and planned landscapes. Once you have selected a collection, you can browse the collection or search within it using the combination search.

View Recommended Species page

Additional resources

USDA: Find Ferocactus cylindraceus in USDA Plants
FNA: Find Ferocactus cylindraceus in the Flora of North America (if available)
Google: Search Google for Ferocactus cylindraceus

Metadata

Record Modified: 2009-02-20
Research By: TWC Staff

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