Actual size and flowering may vary slightly based on season.
Mexican Fire Barrel
Mexican Fire Barrel is a deep green barrel cactus covered in thick, bright red spines, sometimes with white bristles between them. It grows slowly, often 15 years or more to reach 3 feet, and older plants can form clumps or tall columns. Yellow or red flowers ring the top once it is about 10 inches across. It is fully hardy in Tucson and Phoenix.
Best for: accent spots in desert landscapes and large potted specimens, where the red spines stand out.
Its deep green body is covered in thick, bright red spines. Use it as an accent in a desert landscape or xeriscape.
It grows slowly, often 15 years or more to reach 3 feet, so it stays a potted specimen for a long time. Water weekly in warm weather in a pot.
Older plants can form clumps of several barrels or grow into columns, and very old plants can reach 10 feet.
A new plant can sunburn, so shade its south side for the first few months. Cut back water in cold, damp winter weather.
- Cactus grouping3 ft apart
- Open planting4 ft apart
Wait about a week after planting before the first water, then water every other week while nights stay above 60°F. In a pot, water weekly in warm weather. In the ground, water about twice a month in summer. Cut water off in cold, damp winter weather.
Plant it facing the same way it grew. The nursery usually marks the south side. Cover the south side with shade cloth or a few desert broom or creosote branches for the first few months while it adjusts to full sun.
It is fully hardy in Tucson and Phoenix, to about 15°F. Keep the soil dry through cold spells.
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.
How fast does it grow?
It grows slowly and can take 15 years or more to reach 3 feet tall. Give it full sun to light shade and regular summer water for the best growth.
How big does it get?
Older plants can form clumps or grow into columns, and very old plants can reach 10 feet tall. Give it room to widen as it clumps.
Is it the same as Mexican lime cactus?
They are often treated as forms of one species. The lime form has white bristles between the red spines, so look for those if you want that look.
When does it flower?
Once it is about 10 inches across, yellow or red flowers ring the top. Give it full sun so it blooms well.
How often should I water it?
In a pot, water it weekly in warm weather, and in the ground about twice a month in summer. Stop watering in cold, damp winter weather.
How cold can it take?
It is fully hardy in Tucson and Phoenix, to about 15°F. Keep the soil dry in winter.
Does it need full sun?
Full sun to light shade gives the best growth and spine color. Shade the south side of a new plant for the first few months.
Can I grow it in a pot?
Yes, it makes a large potted specimen. Use a roomy pot and a well-drained mix without much organic matter.
Mexican Fire Barrel for sale in Arizona, delivered to you
Mexican Fire Barrel is a red-spined barrel cactus from north central Mexico, sold as Ferocactus pilosus or Ferocactus pringlei. People grow it for its spine color as an accent or potted specimen. Below is what to expect, from growth and size to flowers, water, sun and cold.
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 Mexican fire barrel cactus?
It is Ferocactus pilosus, also sold as Ferocactus pringlei. It is a barrel cactus from north central Mexico with thick red spines.
How fast does Mexican fire barrel grow?
It grows slowly and can take 15 years or more to reach 3 feet. Very old plants can reach 10 feet.
Mexican fire barrel vs Mexican lime cactus
They are often treated as one species. The lime cactus form carries white bristles between its red spines.
How often do you water Mexican fire barrel in Phoenix?
In a pot, water it weekly in warm weather, and in the ground about twice a month in summer. Keep it dry in winter.
Is Mexican fire barrel cold hardy?
Yes, it is fully hardy in Tucson and Phoenix, to about 15°F. Keep the soil dry through cold spells.
Mexican fire barrel in a pot
It makes a large potted specimen. Use a roomy pot with a well-drained mix that is low in organic matter.
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.