The fishhook barrel cactus typically grows to a diameter of roughly two feet and athree inches. A height of three to six feet. However, specimens as wide as three feet and tall as ten feet have been recorded.<ref> Barrelcactus Cactacae ''Ferocactus wislizeni''. [http://www.fw.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/Syllabus2/fwislizeni.htm USDA Fact Sheet].</ref> The common name comes from the [[Spine (botany)|spines]], which are thick and hooked. It has a leathery [[Asparagus (color)|asparagus green]] [[Cortex (botany)|cortex]] (skin) with approximately 15-28 ribs per cactus. Its [[flower]]s are yellow to red-orange and appear atop the cactus [[fruit]] during the summer months. The fruits are green when unripe, yellow after the flower dries up, and persist atop the cactus long after the flower is gone, sometimes for more than a year.
In adulthood, fishhook barrel cacti generally leanslean southward, toward the sun, earning itthem the nickname "compass barrel cactus." One theory about why this happens is, the afternoon sun is so intense it slows the growth on the exposed side, causing the plant to grow unevenly. Older barrels can lean so far they uproot themselves and fall over, especially after heavy rains when the soil is loose.<ref name="Dimmitt">Mark A. Dimmitt. [http://www.desertmuseum.org/books/nhsd_cactus_.php Cactaceae (cactus family)]. Arizona Sonora Desert Museum.</ref> Its life cycle is 50-100 years.
Like [[Sclerocactus]], ''Ferocactus'' typically grows in areas where water flows irregularly or depressions where water can accmulateaccumulate for short periods of time. They are not associated with washes and [[Arroyo (creek)|arroyos]] but rather grow along rocky ridges and open bajadas.
The "fishhook" spines and the armored web of spines enclosing the cactus body are a defense against herbivory. Rarely a mature barrel cactus is found hollowed out by javalina but overall [[Opuntia|prickly pear]] experience much higher levels of damage from more species. Barrel cactus spines pose an extreme hazard for handling, penetrating boots and gloves. The roots are quite long but very shallow.
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[[Category:Plants used in Native American cuisine]]
