All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.

Ferocactus diguetii is the largest of all of the genus Ferocactus and it is often used as mother plant to obtain some of the best variegated hybrid. These hybrids are particularly priced by impassioned because they will form with time huge and very showy specimen. 

Description: F. diguetii is a spectacular cactus that grows up to 4 m tall and are probably the largest and most spectacular Ferocactus. This species is valued as one of the  best mother plant to obtain beautiful variegated hybrids. These hybrids are particularly priced by impassioned because they will form with time huge and very showy specimen.
Stem: Massive, dull bluish-green with white, cream or yellow variegation, globular flattened in juvenile specimens, then columnar. The usual height of this species is to 2 meters, but some specimens can reach the 4 m of eight. and 60-100 cm in diameter.
Ribs: Slightly tuberculate, vertical, straight or wavy in moribund specimens, up to 3 cm tall. Mature plants have 25 to 35 ribs.
Areoles: Elongated, 1 x 2 cm wide, with short tan wool which turn chalky-white/grey and finally erodes away in age.
Spines: 4 to 8 spines of which one central (often up to 10 in juvenile specimens), clear yellow, cream-orangish, reddish or brownish, almost all alike, subulated, not ringed or hooked, slightly curved outward, up to 7 cm long.
Flowers: Fiery reddish to orange, funnelform are about 4 cm long and wide. Floral tube with fimbriate scales on ovary, inner perianth segment, oblanceolated, up to 2 cm long, 8 mm wide, dark red with yellowing margins, external perianth segments brownish-yellow. Stamens basally yellow fading red toward the tips, style orangish/red up to 18 mm long with longitudinal ridges continuing in stigma lobes, this are yellow up to 5-10 mm long.
Blooming season: Flowers from March to May.
 

.

Advertising

Scientific name:  Ferocactus diguetii hybrid forma variegata

Origin:   Garden origin (Nursery produced cultivar)

Conservation status: Listed in CITES appendix 2.

Common Names include: Giant barrel cactus

Etymology:  The specific epithet honors Leon Diguet, a French explorer who was investigating pearl fisheries on Santa Catalina Island in the Gulf of California.

Synonyms:  

• Echinocactus diguetii Weber
  In: Bull. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 4: 100, fig I, 1898

Cultivation: Slow growing to start, but it does well under cultivation.  Use very draining soil, water during the aestival growth cycle (this plant needs plenty of water).  But it's necessary to avoid  wetting the bodies of these plants while they are in sunlight. A wet cactus in the sun light can cause sun burning which can lead to scars or even fungal infections, and death.
Needs full sun. Keep dry at 10°C in winter, but it can tolerate sporadic light frost.

Reproduction: Seeds are the only way of reproducing.

Photo of conspecific taxa, varieties, forms and cultivars of Ferocactus diguetii.

• Ferocactus diguetii
• Ferocactus diguetii var. carmenensis
• Ferocactus diguetii hybrid forma variegata

All the information and photos in cactus art file are now available also in the new the Enciclopedia of Cacti. We hope you find this new site informative and useful.