Ferocactus latispinus - Devil's tongue barrel cactus

Ferocactus latispinus is a stout barrel cactus, recognisable by its flattened body, its large recurved thorns and its pink to purplish flowering that appears between autumn and winter. This tender species can be planted in a rock garden by the sea, in climates with dry winters. Elsewhere, it should be grown in pots and overwintered in a greenhouse or a sunny conservatory. It appeals as much for its geometry as for the contrast between its bluish green epidermis and its broad prickles, which can seem almost varnished.

Belonging to the Cactaceae family, Ferocactus latispinus is a botanical species native to central and southern Mexico, from Durango to Puebla; its presence is reported particularly in the states of Zacatecas, Aguascalientes, San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo, Guanajuato, Querétaro, Jalisco, the State of Mexico and Oaxaca. In the wild, it grows between 600 and 2,600 m altitude, in dry areas, on silty plains, xeric prairies, arid scrub, sometimes on rocky slopes or at the edges of open oak forests.
It is a long-lived perennial succulent, almost always solitary, which rarely produces offsets. Its growth is slow. The stem, initially globose, flattens with age and often becomes wider than tall. It measures 25 to 35 cm tall and 25 to 45 cm wide, sometimes more on very old specimens. It bears about 13 to 21 very prominent ribs. The greyish areoles produce fine radial thorns and several much more spectacular central thorns. The lowest one is flattened, widened, curved like a blade or a tongue, 3- 4 cm long, red, reddish brown, ivory or yellowish depending on the form. The flowers appear at the top of the stem in dense crowns in late autumn and winter in our climates. They are funnel-shaped, 3 to 6 cm wide, lilac pink to purple, with a paler throat or yellowish nuances. When they form, the small and scaly fruits release black seeds.
In Mexico, the plant has also been harvested locally, and its seeds can be dispersed by goats.

In our latitudes, this Ferocactus is mainly grown in a shallow container filled with cactus soil. In very mild climates, it can be kept outdoors all year round if the soil remains dry in winter. Elsewhere, a cold greenhouse, a conservatory or a very sunny windowsill suits it better. In winter, it must rest in a cool, nearly dry place. You can group it with Agave parryi neomexicana, Aloe polyphylla, Hesperaloe parviflora ‘Rubra’ and Yucca rostrata ‘Sapphire Skies’ in a desert-style display.

This cactus can spend the summer outdoors, on a very sunny terrace or balcony, in a place sheltered from repeated rain. Place it outside when night temperatures exceed 5 to 10 °C, hardening it gradually to full sun. In autumn, bring it indoors before the first frosts. In winter, keep it in a very bright, ventilated room, nearly dry, ideally between 5 and 10 °C.