About
Copiapoa krainziana is a perennial cactus that develops slowly and forms clusters. It typically reaches a height of up to 30 cm and features a series of short, rounded, dark green stems. Each stem is adorned with white, woolly areoles that bear white spines. In the summer, this cactus produces yellow flowers.
About the genus
Copiapoa comprises slow-growing cacti characterized by either solitary or clustered stems that feature prominent ribs. In the summer months, they produce funnel-shaped yellow blossoms.
Growing conditions
- Sunlight
- Full sun
- Soil type
- Chalk, Loam, Sand
- Soil pH
- Acid, Alkaline, Neutral
- Soil moisture
- Well-drained
- Aspect
- South-facing
- Exposure
- Sheltered
- UK hardiness
- H2
Plant details
- Plant type
- Cactus Succulent
- Habit
- Clump forming
- Foliage
- Evergreen
- Height
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Spread
- 0.1-0.5 metres
- Time to full height
- 5-10 years
- Suggested uses
- Houseplants
- Toxicity
- Handle with care due to prickly spines
Care notes
- Cultivation
- In milder areas, may be grown outdoors in gritty, poor soil in full sun. Protect from excess winter wet. In colder areas, grow under glass in a mix of 3 parts standard cactus compost and one part perlite. This is a desert plant, native to one of the driest regions of the world; water moderately from spring to early autumn and keep dry in winter. See houseplant cacti and succulent cultivation for more details
- Pruning
- No pruning required
- Propagation
- Propagate by seed sown at 19-24°C (66-75°F) in early spring, or by division, removing offsets in summer
- Pest resistance
- May be susceptible to mealybugs when grown under glass
- Disease resistance
- Generally disease-free