Life Span
Perennial
Annual
Type
Cactus or Succulent
Vegetable
Origin
North America, Southwestern United States, Mexico
Central America, Mexico
Types
Colville's Barrel Cactus, Long-spined Barrel Cactus, Barrel Cactus
Slicing, Pickling and burpless
Number of Varieties
293
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-157-8
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-1
Sunset Zone
12, 13, 21, 22, 23, 24
A3, H1, H2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
Vining/Climbing
Plant Size
Minimum Height
40.00 cm15.20 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
13.00 cm180.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Magenta
Yellow, Gold
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
Pink, Red
Green
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Light Green
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Dark Green, Yellow green
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
-
Heart-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
Slow
Very Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Spring, Late Spring, Early Summer
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, Early Fall, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Needs good drainage, Needs very little water, Water carefully
Keep ground moist, Requires a lot of watering, Requires regular watering, Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
-
Prune after flowering, Remove shoots
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Compost, organic fertlizers
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Bacteria wilt, Fungal Diseases, fungus, Fusarium wilt, Leaf spot, Striped cucumber beetles
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Cold climate
Flowers
✔
✘
✔
✘
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
✔
✘
✔
✘
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Foliage Sheen
-
Matte
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation, Rich in Iron
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Fruits, Seeds
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Food, Used as Ornamental plant, Used for its medicinal properties
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Vine
Botanical Name
ECHINOCACTUS horizonthalonius
MELOTHRIA scabra
Common Name
Devilshead, Turk's head cactus, Blue barrel cactus, Eagle's claw, Horse maimer, Horse crippler, Visnaga meloncillo
Mexican Sour Gherkins, cucamelon
In Hindi
Blue barrel cactus
Mousemelon
In German
Blau Faßkaktus
Maus Melone
In French
Bleu barrel cactus
Mousemelon
In Spanish
biznaga Azul
Mousemelon
In Greek
Μπλε βαρέλι κάκτος
πεπόνι ποντίκι
In Portuguese
cacto de tambor azul
melão rato
In Polish
Niebieski baryłkę kaktus
mysz melona
In Latin
Blue Cactus
mouse melon
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Cucurbitales
Family
Cactaceae
Cucurbitaceae
Genus
Echinocactus
Cucumis
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Tribe
Cacteae
Melothrieae
Subfamily
Cactaceae
Cucurbitoideae
Number of Species
2950
1
27800
👆🏻