Copiapoa hypogaea
| Light | Bright light; a little shade from the harshest afternoon sun |
|---|---|
| Water | Very sparingly; allow to dry fully between waterings, kept dry in winter |
| Soil | Gritty, fast-draining mineral mix (see Soil and potting mix) |
| Temperature | Keep above freezing; USDA zones 9b–11 |
| Propagation | Seed (primary); occasionally offsets |
| Toxicity | Non-toxic to cats and dogs |
Copiapoa hypogaea is a small, flattened, brown-green cactus from the coastal desert of northern Chile, prized for its compact, almost spineless body and cheerful yellow flowers. Like others in the genus Copiapoa, it carries a large tuberous root and pulls its low, disc-shaped body down toward the soil surface — the epithet hypogaea means "underground," a nod to how much of the plant sits at or below ground level in habitat.
Description
Copiapoa hypogaea forms a small, solitary (eventually clustering) body, usually only a few centimetres across and rising barely above the soil. The skin is a matte grey-brown to olive-green, sometimes taking on reddish or purplish tones under strong light, and the body is divided into low, rounded ribs broken into flat tubercles. Beneath sits a swollen, carrot-like tuberous root that stores water and often makes up much of the plant's bulk.
The species is essentially spineless, or nearly so — young areoles may bear a few tiny, soft spines that are quickly shed, leaving small tufts of pale wool. Funnel-shaped flowers emerge from the woolly crown in spring and summer, glossy yellow, opening for a few days at a time and appearing large in proportion to the modest body.
Distribution and habitat
The species is native to the Atacama region of northern Chile, one of the driest places on Earth. There it grows on coastal hills and flats where almost the only reliable moisture comes from the camanchaca — the sea fog that rolls in off the Pacific. Plants root in gritty, mineral soils and often retreat so far into the ground during drought that little more than the flat top is visible.
Like the whole cactus family, Copiapoa is listed under CITES Appendix II, and wild populations face pressure from illegal collection and habitat change. Nursery-propagated plants are widely available and entirely legal to own and trade; collecting from the wild is not.
Cultivation
Copiapoa hypogaea is a slow but rewarding plant that punishes overwatering above all else. Grow it in a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix in a pot deep enough to accommodate the tuberous root, in bright light with a little shade from the fiercest afternoon sun. Water thoroughly only once the soil has dried out completely, then wait; keep the plant dry through the cool winter months to prevent rot and encourage flowering.
Because the swollen root is prone to rot in damp, airless conditions, good ventilation and a snug, gritty rootrun matter as much as watering discipline. See Watering and Repotting for general technique.
Propagation
Seed is the usual and most reliable method. The fine seeds germinate on a warm, gritty surface kept lightly humid, though seedlings are slow and benefit from patience in their early years. Older plants may in time offset from the base; these clusters can be divided and the offsets rooted, so vegetative propagation is possible but far less common than seed. See Propagation — seed and Propagation — offsets for full walkthroughs.
Cultivars
The most frequently seen selection is Copiapoa hypogaea 'Lizard Skin', named for its distinctively bumpy, textured epidermis. As with the species, it is grown from seed and cared for identically.
Common problems
- Rot — by far the commonest cause of loss, almost always from overwatering, a slow-draining mix, or moisture sitting around the tuberous root; the body softens and browns from the base.
- Etiolation — too little light makes the flattened body dome upward and lose its tight, low form.
- Pests — mealybugs (white fluff in the areoles and often at the roots) and red spider mites (fine webbing, bronzed skin) are the usual offenders. See Pests and diseases.
See also
- Copiapoa — the genus overview
- Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting · Propagation — seed · Propagation — offsets