Echinocactus grusonii  In 1990, populations of Echinocactus grusonii were the focus of an intensive rescue effort in the Rio Moctezuma Valley in Mexico. This valley, the primary habitat of the golden barrel cactus, was scheduled to be flooded after the construction of a major dam. A Mexican botanical garden hurried to remove these and other rare plants prior to the dam’s construction. Though few Echinocactus grusonii remain in the wild today, their off-site conservation has allowed for widespread propagation by nurseries and botanical gardens, and the golden barrel cactus is now one of the most popular cacti in cultivation. |
