Honest review: Barrel Cactus is rewarding but scarring from cold water splash on the skin is real

Barrel Cactus is a genuinely satisfying plant to grow, but I want to be upfront about one thing: scarring from cold water splash on the skin. I've dealt with it twice now and it takes consistent attention to manage.

Beyond that, remarkable drought tolerance once established makes it one of my favourites in the collection. I keep it in a grouped desert landscape display which suits it well. Learning about watering sparingly and only in the active growing season has been essential. offsetting and pup production in spring is worth waiting for — the plant really justifies itself then. Four stars because of that persistent issue.