The barrel cactus is shaped just like a round, prickly ball or a fat barrel, and that is exactly how it got its funny name! It is covered in rows of sharp, curved spines that protect it from hungry animals looking for a snack. Some of these spines can be as long as your finger! Barrel cacti can grow to be about four feet tall, which is probably about as tall as you are. One really cool thing about the barrel cactus is that it often leans toward the south, where the sun shines the most, so desert hikers sometimes use it like a compass to find their way.
Inside its round body, the barrel cactus stores lots and lots of water so it can survive in the hot, dry desert for months without any rain. The outside of the cactus has deep ridges that work like an accordion. When it rains, the cactus soaks up water and the ridges stretch out to hold more, and when it is dry, the ridges squeeze back together. In the springtime, a beautiful ring of bright yellow, orange, or red flowers grows right on the very top of the cactus like a tiny crown! These flowers make sweet fruits that desert birds and squirrels love to eat.
