Barrel Cactus

Many people believe the barrel cactus is filled with water. Not true. It is filled by a slimy alkaline juice. It is a member of the Cactus Family and is also known as Arizona barrel cactus, candy barrel cactus, fishhook barrel and compass barrel.

Blooms from July through September. Flowers are shades of orange to yellow to reddish and are cup-shaped. Flowering is followed by yellow, barrel-shaped, scaly fruit.
Fruits are eaten by deer and rodents. Bees are attracted to the plant's flowers. Cactus candy is made from plant's pulp.
Found at elevations between 1,000 and 4,000'.
Native Americans used its sharp, hooked spines as fishhooks. A good way to differentiate a barrel cactus from a young saguaro cactus, is to look at the spines; the saguaro's are straight not hooked.
Grows faster on its shady side causing it to lean in a southerly direction, hence the name "compass cactus."