@Baja_Costero,
Where did you find it? I looked at the other photos of this cactus you've posted, they seem to love rock cracks. They must be growing from seeds spread by birds/winds. I would love to have one in my cacti garden.

This picture (like most of the others) was taken in Cataviña, Baja California. Out in the central desert of BC. They do tend to grow in cracks in the rock. So do the other cacti in that area. I think they are among the plants which do not require soil to grow (pioneer species) though I can imagine it takes a long time for them to get that big in such harsh conditions.

You may not see F. gracilis for sale unless you really look. It's not that common in cultivation, and not particularly fast from seed. But it should do well in your climate. Zero irrigation required once it's established.

Another red-spined Ferocactus you might be more likely to find in cultivation is this one:

A couple of things relating to the original picture: I did not enhance or Photoshop the red. The color is accurate.

All these cacti are red, but the ones growing in the most difficult places (like a literal crack in the rock) seem to be the most intense red. Part of that is exposure, and part of it must be stress. It goes along with extra gnarly and savage spines. Of course those plants are maximally photogenic.

To put it another way, this picture (and most of the other images of F. gracilis) is not typical of what a cultivated plant would look like. Definitely not a brand new one out of the greenhouse, out from under shade cloth or whatever, which is where it would be coming from in California. Maybe after several years of extreme exposure and neglect, you'd be in the ballpark.

I see. Thank you so much for sharing that info, Baja.

If, by any (tiny) chance, I happened to find one growing in the wild (and was able to handle it), do you think I would damage it if I tried pulling it out of a crack? It has to have roots and they must be deep in the crack so pulling it may sever some or most of them.

You would almost certainly be unable to remove the roots intact. And it would be a bad idea to remove one, as concerns the preservation of the species in the wild. A better move would be to grab a fruit and grow plants at home from seed. That's not particularly difficult but it does require the investment of a few years.

Okay. I will try that.