It was originally described by Carl Linnaeus in 1753 as Cactus tetragonus but was moved to the genus Acanthocereus in 1938 by Pieter Wagenaar Hummelinck.

Flowers are open from midnight until dawn, attracting hummingbird moths (Hemaris spp.).

This highly spiny, often large, and thicket-forming cactus has stems up to 10 feet or possibly taller.

[10][11] Young stems of the barbed-wire cactus can be eaten as a vegetable either cooked or raw,[5] while the fruits are edible and sweet.

The miniature cultivar of this species, fairy castle cactus, is commonly grown as a houseplant for its small size and interesting shape.