Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Blue Barrel Multi
Blue Barrel Multi is the clustering form of the blue barrel cactus, with several blue-gray heads growing together into a low mound. Each head carries deep ribs and yellow spines, and yellow flowers ring the tops from spring through late summer. It gives a planter or rock garden the look of a massed barrel group from a single plant, and grows slowly.
Best for: raised planters, rock gardens and massed barrel plantings where a single plant should read as a group.
Several blue-gray heads grow together into a mound, so one plant looks like a massed group of barrels. It works well with other barrels and low-water plants.
It suits raised planters and rock gardens with other low-water cacti and succulents. Use porous cactus soil with extra pumice or coarse sand.
Each head can carry yellow, funnel-shaped flowers near its top from spring through late summer, followed by round white fruit.
Soil that stays wet, above all in winter, rots it, so plant it where water drains fast. It is hardy to only about 20 to 25°F, so cover the mound on hard freeze nights.
- Group planting2 ft apart
- Open planting3 ft apart
Wait about a week after planting before the first water, then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once rooted, water every 2 to 4 weeks in hot, dry summers. Keep it dry in winter.
Plant it facing the same way it grew. The nursery usually marks the south side. Keep the whole mound facing the way it grew so no shaded head is turned into the sun.
It is hardy to about 20 to 25°F. Cover the whole mound with frost cloth that reaches the ground on hard freeze nights.
In the ground it needs no fertilizer. In a pot, feed it lightly about twice a year.
Drainage test first. Dig the hole and fill it with water. If water is still sitting in the hole a day later, you likely hit caliche, clay or hard soil, so fix the drainage before planting. If it drains very fast, the soil is sandy. Standing water around roots is a common reason new plants fail.
Weed cloth. Cut it away from the planting hole and where the roots will spread. Remove any plastic sheeting completely, since it keeps water and air out of the soil.
Rock or decomposed granite with no soil underneath. Bring in soil close in texture to your native soil, mix it with the soil below, and build up enough depth for roots before planting.
If you can break through. Use a breaker bar, pick, or jackhammer. Dig through the caliche and break out the solid chunks. Backfill with the soil you dug out, with no compost or manure in the hole. Confirm drainage before planting.
If you cannot break through. Dig narrow holes through the hard layer beside the root ball, not under it, and refill them with the same soil, not gravel. If it still will not drain, plant on a low mound of the same soil.
Root ball. Check the outside edges for any roots circling around. Loosen or cut those so they grow outward. Do not break up the center of the root ball.
Depth. The top of the root ball should sit at or just slightly above the surrounding soil level. Planting too deep can lead to rot and kill the plant.
Drip emitters. At planting, put the emitters on the root ball, on different sides of the plant. After about 2 months, move them to the outer edge of the root ball. Over the first year, add emitters farther out toward the edge of the branches as roots grow. Once a plant is rooted, never water only at the trunk.
What is blue barrel multi?
It is the clustering form of blue barrel cactus, with several heads growing together into a mound. Plant it where the whole mound can be seen.
How big does it get?
Each head grows slowly to about 2 feet tall. The mound widens as new heads form, so give it room.
When does it bloom?
Yellow, funnel-shaped flowers open near the tops of the heads from spring through late summer, and round white fruit follows. Look for flowers on several heads at once.
How often should I water it?
Water every other week after planting while nights are warm. Once rooted, water the soil every 2 to 4 weeks in hot, dry summers and keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
It is hardy to about 20 to 25°F. Cover the mound with frost cloth to the ground on hard freeze nights.
Does it need full sun?
It grows in full sun or part shade. In a Valley summer, afternoon shade keeps it looking good.
Blue barrel multi vs single blue barrel
They are the same species. The multi form carries several heads in a mound, and the single form is one round barrel about 2 feet across. Pick the multi for the look of a group.
Which way should I plant it?
Keep the marked south side facing south so no shaded head is turned into the sun.
Blue Barrel Multi for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Blue Barrel Multi is the multi-headed form of Ferocactus glaucescens, a blue-gray barrel cactus from eastern central Mexico. Below is what to expect, including how the mound grows, flowers, water, cold and where it fits in a Valley yard.
Sourced from trusted Arizona growers and delivered directly to your door, job site, or property. We deliver across the Valley and to nearby towns, and quote delivery anywhere else in Arizona.
What is a multi-headed blue barrel cactus?
It is the clustering form of Ferocactus glaucescens. Several blue-gray heads grow together in one mound.
How big does blue barrel multi get?
Each head grows slowly to about 2 feet tall, and the mound widens as heads are added.
Blue barrel cactus flowers
Yellow, funnel-shaped flowers open from spring through late summer, often on several heads at once.
How often do you water a barrel cactus cluster in Phoenix?
Water the soil every other week after planting. Once it is rooted, water every 2 to 4 weeks in hot, dry summers, and keep it dry in winter.
Is blue barrel cactus cold hardy?
It is hardy to about 20 to 25°F. Cover the mound on hard freeze nights.
Blue barrel multi in a raised planter
It suits raised planters and rock gardens with other low-water cacti. Use porous cactus soil with extra pumice or coarse sand.
We deliver across the Valley, from Phoenix, Scottsdale and Mesa out to San Tan Valley, Maricopa and Casa Grande, and up to Prescott, Sedona, Payson and Globe. See delivery areas and rates.