A Spikey Footstool

Cacti come in all shapes and sizes. In this article, we’ll take a closer look at the barrel cactus, which, as the name suggests, is usually round. All types of barrel cacti belong to two genera in the cactus family: Echinocactus and Ferocactus. They are exclusively found in the deserts of the southwestern United States and Mexico. The golden barrel cactus (Echinocactus grusonii) is a barrel cactus from central Mexico. An older specimen resembles a large, round footstool filled with spines. In Dutch, this cactus is known as ‘mother-in-law’s chair’—possibly nicknamed by someone who wasn’t particularly fond of their mother-in-law. This cactus is endangered in the wild. Fortunately, you can still enjoy this beautiful plant in the Desert.