Compass Barrel

Compass Barrel, also known as California Barrel Cactus, Red Barrel or Desert Barrel Cactus, is a striking cylindrical cactus native to the Mojave, Sonoran, and Colorado deserts. It typically grows as a solitary column, starting spherical and gradually elongating with age. New spines emerge bright red, especially vivid after rainfall, before aging to shades of yellow, gray, or white. The long, curved central spine, often up to five inches, is flanked by several shorter outward-pointing spines and a dense cluster of lighter radial spines that mostly obscure the ribbed green body beneath.

In spring or early summer, mature plants produce a vibrant crown of funnel-shaped yellow or reddish flowers, followed by fleshy, hollow, bright yellow fruits. These blooms and fruits are a vital food source for a wide range of desert wildlife. Bees, moths, butterflies, birds, and small mammals visit for nectar, pollen, fruit, and seeds. Lizards and rodents also take shelter beneath the dense spines, using the cactus for protection from predators and harsh desert heat.

This cactus thrives in full sun and well-draining sandy or rocky soils, often growing along canyon walls, arid slopes, alluvial fans, and disturbed desert ground. It is extremely heat- and drought-tolerant once established, making it a good candidate for desert restoration projects and low-maintenance desert landscapes. Although it grows slowly, it is long-lived and highly adapted to desert extremes.

Compass Barrel Cactus is increasingly threatened by illegal poaching and habitat loss due to land development. Its ecological value as a food and shelter source for desert creatures makes its conservation critical. It is the most widespread of the large barrel cacti across California, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona, and can be distinguished from similar species by its dense spination and distinctive curved central spines. Interestingly, older plants often lean toward the southwest, a trait that has been observed in this and closely related species.