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Species library › Ferocactus › Ferocactus johnstonianus
Succulents Well documented

Ferocactus johnstonianus

A large barrel cactus with golden spines, endemic to Isla Ángel de la Guarda in the Gulf of California. It needs full sun, heat and very little water, but the island's sea-moderated climate means mild winters rather than hard frost.

Ferocactus johnstonianus
Photo: Sula Vanderplank, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
At home, aim for
Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry
Night Close to the dayTargets 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

Rocky desert slopes and washes on an arid island, fully exposed to sun.

Recorded at 17 to 437 m, with a median of 300 m.

MexicoBaja California

🔒 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

Grow Ferocactus johnstonianus? Add it to a free garden and its full profile opens. Pro opens all 38,374 profiles in the library, plants and fungi.

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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 4.0 licence, unmodified.