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
Habitat
limestone outcrops, Rocky areas, Semi desert
Floodplains, Wet forest
USDA Hardiness Zone
12-15
7-8
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
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 Shape
-
Heart-shaped
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Summer, Fall
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
Tolerances
Drought
Drought
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Planting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
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 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
Flower Petal Number
Single
Single
Foliage Texture
Bold
Coarse
Attracts
-
Ants, Birds, Flying insects, Insects, Rats, Squirrels
Allergy
-
Throat itching, Vomiting
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Edible Uses
Insignificant
Yes
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Food for animals, Food for birds
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
No
Yes
Used As Outdoor Plant
Yes
Yes
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
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
Importance of Blue Barrel and Mouse Melon
Want to have the most appropriate plant for your garden? You might want to know the importance of Blue Barrel and Mouse Melon. Basically, these two plants vary in many aspects. Compare Blue Barrel and Mouse Melon as they differ in many characteristics such as their life, care, benefits, facts, etc. Every gardener must at least have the slightest clue about the plants he wants to plant in his garden. Compare their benefits, which differ in many ways like facts and uses. The medicinal use of Blue Barrel is whereas of Mouse Melon is Antioxidants, Combats Stress, Fiber, Improve heart health, Indigestion, Inflammation and Rich in Iron. Blue Barrel has beauty benefits as follows: while Mouse Melon has beauty benefits as follows: .
Compare Facts of Blue Barrel vs Mouse Melon
How to choose the best garden plant for your garden depending upon its facts? Here garden plant comparison will help you to solve this query. Compare the facts of Blue Barrel vs Mouse Melon and know which one to choose. As garden plants have benefits and other uses, allergy is also a major drawback of plants for some people. Allergic reactions of Blue Barrel are whereas of Mouse Melon have Throat itching and Vomiting respectively. Having a fruit bearing plant in your garden can be a plus point of your garden. Blue Barrel has no showy fruits and Mouse Melon has showy fruits. Also Blue Barrel is flowering and Mouse Melon is not flowering . You can compare Blue Barrel and Mouse Melon facts and facts of other plants too.