Experienced grower's notes on Golden Barrel

I've been growing plants seriously for over fifteen years and Golden Barrel remains a reliable favourite. For anyone starting out: the most critical thing is watering sparingly and only in the active growing season. Everything else follows from that.

scarring from cold water splash on the skin is the challenge that trips up most beginners and some experienced growers too. I've been growing mine in a grouped desert landscape display for three seasons now and the results are consistently good. architectural sculptural form that needs no flowers to impress is what makes it worth coming back to year after year. flowering in late spring to early summer is when I show it off — it earns its place fully then.