Species · genus Parodia · Cactaceae
Golden Ball Cactus
Parodia lenninghausii (F.Haage) F.H.Brandt ex Eggli & Hofacker
Also known as: Lemon Ball Cactus · Yellow Tower Cactus · Golden Barrel Cactus · Notocactus leninghausii
Cultivars of P. lenninghausii
The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.
No named cultivars catalogued under P. lenninghausii 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.
The Golden Ball Cactus
Parodia leninghausii, commonly called the golden ball cactus (also lemon ball or yellow tower cactus), is a cactus prized for its glowing golden spines and its cheerful lemon-yellow flowers. It carries the RHS Award of Garden Merit, a nod to its reliability as a container and greenhouse subject.
Source: RHS
A Brazilian Native
This species hails from Brazil, part of the Parodia genus of ribbed, spiny cacti that bear their funnel-shaped flowers near the crown of the stem. It has passed through a few names over time, having also been classified as Notocactus leninghausii and Eriocactus leninghausii.
Source: RHS
Sun, Water, Feed
Give this cactus full sun or bright filtered light and a well-drained, standard cactus compost of loam or sand. Water moderately from mid-spring to late summer, and feed with a low-nitrogen liquid fertiliser every six to eight weeks during that same active period. It prefers a sheltered, south- or west-facing spot and is only frost-tender, rated H2, so tolerant of cool but not freezing conditions.
Source: RHS
Grown From Seed
Propagation is by seed, sown at a temperature of 19 to 24°C during spring or summer.
Source: RHS
Golden Spines, Lemon Blooms
The stems are solitary or clustering, ranging from globose to cylindrical, and can reach up to 60cm tall with an upright, columnar habit. They are covered in bristly, golden-brown spines, and in the growing season produce bowl-shaped, lemon-yellow flowers some 4 to 5cm across near the tip.
Source: RHS
Mealybugs and Aphids
Mealybugs and aphids are the pests most likely to turn up on this cactus. Otherwise it is generally free of disease.
Source: RHS
Little Fuss Required
No pruning is needed for this species, and it is considered a low-maintenance choice for patios and containers. It matures slowly, typically taking five to ten years to reach full size.
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 14-28d)
- Humidity
- ai:claude-opus-4-8
- Soil
- ai:claude-fable-5
- Care
- ai:claude-fable-5
Direct sun
≈ every 28 days
Low — average room
10–30 °C
Gritty, fast-draining cactus mix
Offsets or seed
Dilute low-nitrogen cactus feed monthly in spring and summer
Slow
Yellow blooms in summer on mature plants
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.
PrimarySources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 14-28d) · ai:claude-fable-5
Kept true by its growers
Every fact here carries its source. Grow Golden Ball 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.
Sign in to add what you know →