Copiapoa hypogaea 'Lizard Skin'

Copiapoa hypogaea 'Lizard Skin is a much-coveted textured selection of the Chilean cactus Copiapoa hypogaea, prized for a stem surface that is cracked, ridged and warty like the hide of a reptile. Where the ordinary species has a smooth, matte skin, 'Lizard Skin' develops a rough, tessellated epidermis that catches the light and gives even a small plant enormous character.

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Care follows the parent species; see Copiapoa hypogaea and the Copiapoa genus page for full details.

Description

Like typical Copiapoa hypogaea, 'Lizard Skin' is a small, low-growing cactus that forms a flattened to shortly domed body, greyish-green to bronze-brown, often pulling itself down toward soil level in dry spells. Spines are minute or absent, so nothing distracts from the skin itself.

The defining trait is that surface texture: the epidermis is broken into a network of raised cracks, bumps and warty tubercles rather than lying smooth, an appearance that gives rise to the name. This textured skin is a fixed characteristic of the selection, though it can vary in intensity from plant to plant. Small yellow flowers open from the woolly crown in the growing season, as in the ordinary form.

Cultivation

Grow 'Lizard Skin' exactly as for the parent species — see Copiapoa hypogaea. In short, give it a very free-draining, mostly mineral mix, water sparingly only once the soil has dried out, and keep it dry and cool through winter. Like most Copiapoa, it is slow-growing and resents wet, stagnant soil at the roots.

Bright light suits this selection: strong light and a lean, hard regime keep growth compact and bring out the attractive bronzed skin, whereas soft, shaded growth tends to look greener and more drawn. Because textured and slow forms like this are sometimes offered as grafted plants to speed them along, check whether a plant is on its own roots or grafted; grafted specimens grow faster and plumper but often lose some of the tight, sculpted character over time. See Watering, Repotting and Grafting for general technique.

See also

• Copiapoa hypogaea — the parent species
• Copiapoa — the genus overview
• Grafting · Soil and potting mix · Watering · Repotting

References

Horticultural information for growing these plants as ornamentals. Always confirm plant identification and any handling, grafting, or safety advice against authoritative sources before acting.