Species · genus Bisnaga · Cactaceae

Barrel Cactus

Ferocactus histrix (DC.) G.E.Linds.

Also known as: Candy Barrel Cactus · Electrode Cactus · Biznaga · Biznaga de Dulce · Mexican Fire Barrel

Growth habit

succulent subshrub

Native range

Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Southwest

Reference · F. histrix

Cultivars of F. histrix

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under F. histrix yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A barrel-forming succulent from the arid highlands of central and northern Mexico, this cactus stores water in its ribbed body and rots easily if kept wet. Give it gritty, fast-draining mineral mix and the brightest light you can offer. Water deeply only when the mix is fully dry through the pot, and back off further in the cooler, darker months when it is dormant.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 21-45d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 45 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

8–32 °C

Soil mix

Gritty, fast-draining cactus mix with extra pumice

Propagation

From seed; occasional offsets

Fertilizing

Dilute cactus feed once or twice in spring and summer

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Ring of small yellow flowers on mature barrels in bright light

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 21-45d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Barrel Cactus yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.