Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Golden Ball
Golden Ball is a small South American cactus covered in fine, soft-looking golden spines. It starts out round, then slowly grows into a short column and forms a cluster from the base as it ages. Mature plants carry large, pure yellow flowers at the top in summer. It suits pots, raised beds and small cactus gardens where its gold color can catch the light.
Best for: pots, raised planters and small cactus gardens where its golden spines catch the light. It stays narrow for years, then grows into a short cluster of columns.
It stays about 4 to 5 inches wide for years, so it fits a pot on a patio table or a step. Use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole.
It starts round, then grows into a column up to 2 feet or more. Its upright shape stands out next to round barrels and low aloes.
Once a plant is mature, pure yellow flowers about 2 inches across open at the top in summer. Young plants need a few years before they bloom.
It can be damaged below about 25°F, so cover it on frost nights. Wet winter soil can rot it. In a Valley summer, harsh afternoon sun is hard on it, so give it light shade.
Wait about a week after planting before the first water. Then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted, water when the soil has dried out in the warm months. Keep it dry in winter unless the winter is very dry.
It grows in light shade to full sun. In the Valley, give it light shade or afternoon shade in summer so it does not scorch.
It can be damaged below about 25°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet that reaches the ground, not plastic, and take it off in the morning. Move pots under a patio roof on cold nights.
Use a pot with a drainage hole and a gritty cactus mix with plenty of pumice, perlite or coarse sand. Water it when the mix is dry, and keep it drier in winter.
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.
How big does Golden Ball cactus get?
It starts as a round ball, then slowly grows into a column about 2 to 3 feet tall and 4 to 5 inches wide. Older plants form a cluster of stems from the base.
Is Golden Ball the same as Notocactus leninghausii?
Yes. It is now called Parodia leninghausii, and older labels use Notocactus leninghausii. It is also sold as lemon ball cactus.
When does Golden Ball bloom?
Mature plants bloom in summer with pure yellow flowers about 2 inches across at the top. Give a young plant a few years, and keep it in bright light so it can bloom.
Does it need full sun in Phoenix?
It grows in light shade to full sun. In the Valley, give it light shade or afternoon shade in summer so it does not scorch.
How often should I water it?
Wait about a week after planting, then water about every other week while nights stay above 60°F. Once it is rooted, water it when the soil has dried out in the warm months. Keep it dry in winter.
How cold can it take?
It can be damaged below about 25°F. On frost nights, cover it with frost cloth or a sheet down to the ground, and move pots under a patio roof.
Can I grow Golden Ball in a pot?
Yes, it is a popular pot plant. Use a gritty cactus mix with plenty of pumice, perlite or coarse sand, and a pot with a drainage hole.
What soil does it need in the Valley?
Plant it in soil that drains fast, like sandy or gravelly native soil, with no compost. If you hit caliche, break through it so water drains, or choose another spot.
Why did my new cactus turn yellow or white?
That is sunburn, which is common on nursery plants in their first summer. Plant it with the same side facing south as before, and give it light shade cloth the first summer.
Golden Ball for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Golden Ball, also called lemon ball cactus, is Parodia leninghausii from southern Brazil. It was long sold as Notocactus leninghausii. Below is what to expect in a Valley pot or bed: size, sun, water, cold and flowers.
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What is a Golden Ball cactus?
It is Parodia leninghausii, a cactus from southern Brazil with fine golden spines. It was long sold as Notocactus leninghausii and is also called lemon ball cactus.
How big does Golden Ball cactus get?
It starts round and slowly becomes a column about 2 to 3 feet tall and 4 to 5 inches wide. Older plants cluster from the base.
Golden Ball cactus flowers
Mature plants bloom in summer. The pure yellow flowers are about 2 inches across and open at the top of the stem.
Growing Golden Ball cactus in Phoenix
Plant it in fast-draining soil in full sun to light shade. Give it light shade in the heat of summer, and keep it dry in winter.
Is Golden Ball cactus cold hardy?
It can be damaged below about 25°F. Cover it with frost cloth on frost nights, and keep the soil dry through winter.
Golden Ball cactus in a pot
It is a popular pot plant. Use a gritty cactus mix and a pot with a drainage hole, and let the mix dry between waterings.
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