Echinocactus grusonii forma cristata

Echinocactus grusonii forma cristata is a huge bright green wavy crested cactus with gold spines.

The typical Echinocactus grusonii is a big globular cactus (commonly known as the "Golden barrel cactus") that is very popular and widely grown for its golden-yellow striking long, golden spines, but this beautiful crested form is still rare in cactus collection.  The crested form can also get very big making a spectacular specimen.

The stem is pale green and heavily ribbed with numerous areoles sprouting radial, yellow spines. It produces flowers from the end of spring to summer only on larger mature specimens receiving enough full sun. The flower are diurnal,  vivid yellow (4-5 cm wide) and form a circular ring at the top of the plant, but are not very visible being small in relation with the size of the barrel, and lost into the creamy coloured wool at the plant apex.

 **Size pictured is a large