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Ferocactus viridescens
Also called Coast barrel cactus, San Diego barrel cactus, Coastal Barrel Cactus, Green Stem Viznaga, Keg Cactus, Small Barrel Cactus
Ferocactus viridescens is a solitary barrel cactus from coastal southern California and northwest Baja California, grown for its spiny, ribbed green body and yellowish-green flowers. The key to growing it is sharp drainage, full sun, and very little water.
Ferocactus viridescens is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae. This barrel cactus is known by several common names, including coast barrel cactus, keg cactus and San Diego barrel cactus. Most of its native range in the United States is in San Diego County, California, where it is threatened by development, agriculture, and other alterations in its habitat. It is also found in northern Baja California, Mexico.
This plant, which is hardy down to 5 °C (41 °F), must be grown under glass in temperate regions, though it may be placed outside in a sheltered spot in the warm summer months. It has gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Ferocactus viridescens occurs in northwestern Baja California, Mexico and San Diego County in the United States. In Baja California, it is a common coastal species occurring from the vicinity of San Quintín, at the fringe of the California Floristic Province, north to the international border near Tijuana. In San Diego County, it mostly occurs in the southwestern coastal part of the county, although declining in abundance due to urbanization. Ferocactus viridescens reaches its northern limit at the San Luis Rey River in Oceanside and the neighboring parts of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
Candy barrelcactus · Barrel cactus · Glandulicactus mathssonii · Glandulicactus uncinatus · Barrel Cacti
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Ferocactus viridescens by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
