Genus of 15 species of slow-growing, globose, or columnar perennial cacti native to open thickets in the southwestern United States and Mexico. Echinocactus grusonii is a cactus with a simple or twisted spherical stem, sometimes cylindrical with age. Golden yellow spines gathered in areoles carried on tubercles in young individuals, on ribs in adult individuals. Downy sunken apex. Yellow flowers gathered around the apex; they appear only in adult individuals. Small reddish seeds. Very long-lived plant that can reach one meter in diameter and up to 2 m in height.
Pedoclimatic needs
Grow in full sun or in a greenhouse in cold climates where, if kept dry during the winter months, it can resist up to -4°/-6°C. Grow in loose, predominantly mineral soil, without water stagnation. Being a slow-growing cactus with fairly limited development, it is also ideal for growing in pots. Due to the beauty of its spherical shape and golden yellow thorns it is widely used in rock gardens or on terraces and balconies.
