Golden Barrels

Photos by Lisa E White

Golden Barrel Cactus, or Mother-in-law's Cushion, is common in Scottsdale, especially in landscaping as it forms almost a perfect basketball-like sphere.  Golden's have about 36 distinct ribs with sharp spines which contain a poison.  I had a roommate that had a full allergic reaction to this poison, with impaired breathing and rash.  My niece had run-in with a golden and suffered with a toe that wouldn't heal for months.  (I don't recommend running into a golden barrel while wearing flip-flops.)  Though common in landscaping, golden barrels are endangered in the wild.  Native Americans had many uses for the golden, including making the juice into an antidote to rattlesnake bites.  About the only way to kill a golden is by overwatering, especially in the winter, where they only need enough to keep from shriveling up.