Welcome to Cactus Corner Post #1!  Since moving to Arizona, I have become fascinated with cacti.  Whether it is at the Desert Botanical Garden or out on a hike, I love to inspect each species and learn as much as I can about them.  I have been using the Field Guide to Cacti & Other Succulents of Arizona as my starting point.  This book is published by the Tucson Cactus and Succulent Society, which I just joined.  For good measure I also joined the Central Arizona Cactus and Succulent Society, because I cannot get enough of the cactus talk.

I thought I would start with a post about a very common cactus seen in the Phoenix area.  Keep in mind that I am an amateur, so I am happy to have anyone with more knowledge share where I am going wrong in my identification.  Ferocactus acanthodes is also called the compass barrel cactus.  They are widespread in southern Arizona, and I see them often.  They have spines that often appear red and yellow, and flowers are yellow. 

One of the questions I had was how do I tell a barrel cactus from a young saguaro (saguaro post coming soon!).  Research has indicated that two main features of the spines can help.  The first is the barrel cactus spines are flat, while the saguaro spines are round.  The second is the barrel cactus spines are curved and the saguaro spines are straight.  There are other differences, but these are very easy to judge while out on a hike.  These pictures were taken in Papago Park in December 2022 and show a barrel cactus from different angles.  An animal has been feasting on it near the bottom. 

These are easy to spot in the Phoenix area, they can also be seen in California.  I have seen these at various elevations, and growing out of improbable places (see the picture of the little one that appears to be growing out of the rocks – picture taken at Tonto National Monument).  Feel free to share your pictures of the compass barrel cactus in the comments section.  Photo credit – all photos taken by me.