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Kroenleinia grusonii, popularly known as the golden barrel cactus, golden ball, "mother-in-law's cushion" or "mother-in-law's chair", is a species of barrel cactus which is endemic to east-central Mexico.
Growing as a large, roughly spherical-globular and generally solitary (although basal shoots may sprout from adult specimens), K. grusonii may eventually reach over 1 metre (3.3 ft) in height, after many years, with a diameter of 40 to 80 centimeters (around 2–3 feet across). The lifespan of a single generation is estimated at 10–30 years. Younger plants do not look similar to mature specimens, with more green tissue visible and lighter-colored spines.
Kroenleinia grusonii is widely cultivated by specialty plant nurseries as an ornamental plant, for planting in containers, desert habitat gardens, rock gardens, and in conservatories. A white-spined and a short-spined form, as well as a teal-blue cultivar ('Blue barrel'), are also in-cultivation.
The golden barrel is among the most popular cacti in collections and in landscaping, and has increasingly become popular as an architectural accent plant in contemporary garden designs.
