Ferocactus acanthodes

The old name for the desert barrel cactus, now usually treated as Ferocactus cylindraceus, a heavily spined barrel of the Mojave and Sonoran deserts. It needs full sun, a gritty mineral soil, hot summers and a cool, dry winter.

At home, aim for

Day IntermediateTargets in Plantistry

Night A clear drop at nightTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Gravelly, rocky or sandy slopes and washes in creosote-bush scrub and Joshua-tree woodland, fully exposed to sun.

From about 60 m to 1500 m in the desert Southwest.

CaliforniaNevadaArizonaUtahBaja CaliforniaSonora

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC BY-SA 3.0 licence, unmodified.