Scientific Name
Copiapoa dealbata F.Ritter
Synonym(s)
Copiapoa carrizalensis, Copiapoa cinerea var. dealbata, Copiapoa cinerea subsp. dealbata, Copiapoa malletiana, Echinocactus malletianus
Scientific Classification
Family: Cactaceae
Subfamily: Cactoideae
Tribe: Notocacteae
Genus: Copiapoa
Description
Copiapoa dealbata is a cactus that forms impressive mounds reaching up to 3.3 feet (1 m) in height and more than 6.6 feet (2 m) in width. The stems are spherical to short cylindrical and measure up to 6.4 inches (16 cm) in diameter. They are grayish-white with a wooly apex and have only one (sometimes 1 to 3 smaller) spines per areole. The spines are needle-like, up to 2 inches (5 cm) long, black to light brown, and become grayish-white with age.
In summer, the stems produce pale yellow flowers that measure up to 1.4 inches (3.5 cm) in length and diameter. It usually takes 6 to 10 years before the stem blooms.
Hardiness
USDA hardiness zones 10b to 11b: from 35 °F (+1.7 °C) to 50 °F (+10 °C).
How to Grow and Care
Despite the extreme and specific conditions in their natural habitats, Copiapoas, as a whole, are surprisingly easy to cultivate. This genus is very forgiving, from seed sewing to caring for mature plants. While maintaining size, Copiapoa in cultivation will flower from a young age and reliably so each following year.
These cacti want exposure to half or full sun. If they are in full sun, they must be in a position with good air circulation or risk sunburn.
Watering should be extremely poor. The soil must dry out completely between waterings. Watering should, however, be suspended during mid-summer. In this period, instead of watering, spraying the plant early in the morning, before the temperature warms up, thus simulating the conditions they would have in their natural environment will be appropriate.
The soil should be formed from a mineral substrate (granite crumbled) mixed with very little universal soil.
See more at How to Grow and Care for Copiapoa.
Origin
Copiapoa dealbata is native to Chile.
Links
- Back to genus Copiapoa
- Succupedia: Browse succulents by Scientific Name, Common Name, Genus, Family, USDA Hardiness Zone, Origin, or cacti by Genus
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