Species · genus Ferocactus · Cactaceae

Emory's Barrel Cactus

Ferocactus emoryi (Engelm.) Orcutt

Also known as: Coville's Barrel Cactus · Traveler's Friend

Growth habit

succulent subshrub or shrub

Native range

Arizona, Mexico Northeast, Mexico Northwest

Ferocactus emoryi — reference photo — Stickpen · Public domain

Cultivars of F. emoryi

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

No named cultivars catalogued under F. emoryi 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.

Emory's barrel cactus

Ferocactus emoryi, also known as Emory's or Coville's barrel cactus, is a bluish-green cactus that starts out globular and matures into a stout cylinder, given enough years. It belongs to the Ferocactus genus, the barrel cacti known for prominent ribs, spiny areoles, and funnel-shaped summer flowers.

Source: RHS

Sun, grit, and restraint

This is a full-sun plant, best given a south- or west-facing spot under glass and a sheltered position. Pot it in a peat-free, loam-based compost with added grit, water moderately while it is in growth, and withhold water entirely once it goes dormant. A balanced liquid feed two or three times during the growing season is enough.

Source: RHS

Grown from seed

Ferocactus emoryi is propagated by seed.

Source: RHS

From tubercles to ribs

Young plants show a neat pattern of conical tubercles tipped with six to ten long, curved spines in red or light brown. With age these tubercles merge into fifteen to thirty deep ribs running the length of the barrel. In summer it produces funnel-shaped flowers up to 7.5cm across, in red, yellow or pale orange, followed by egg-shaped yellow fruit. Given many years, it can reach as much as 2m in height, though growth is slow, typically taking ten to twenty years to mature.

Source: RHS

Watch for mealybugs

Mealybugs are the main pest to watch for on this species. Otherwise it is generally disease-free.

Source: RHS

No pruning needed

No pruning is required for this cactus. It is rated H2, tolerant of low temperatures but not able to survive a hard frost, so in the UK it needs the protection of glass through the colder months.

Source: RHS

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 14-30d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Direct sun

Water

≈ every 30 days

Humidity

Low — average room

Temperature

7–32 °C

Soil mix

Very gritty, fast-draining cactus mix

Propagation

Seed; slow to germinate

Fertilizing

Dilute cactus feed once in early summer

Growth rate

Slow

Flowering

Large red to pink blooms on mature plants; rare indoors

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.

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-30d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Emory's Barrel Cactus yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — and a clear photo of your plant are exactly what keep this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.