Copiapoa malletiana

With the common name "Copiapoa de Carrizal" and a flurry of synonyms (Echinocactus malletianus, Copiapoa carrizalensis, Copiapoa dealbata), this is another wonderful copiapoa from the Atacama Desert in Chile. The photo, which was taken just a couple of weeks ago, is of a small plant in a 4" diameter pot. The flowers are yellow (the remains of one is at the top) and the new spines are black.

Copiapoa malletiana ("Copiapoa de Carrizal")

Another Copiapoa from the Atacama Desert of Chile, one of the driest deserts in the world. That fact provides a fairly glaring hint about how to grow these plants: keep dry in the winter and water during the heat of summer only when the potting mix has totally dried out. In addition, they should be grown in a potting medium with excellent drainage and which dries out fairly quickly.

This is Copiapoa malletiana, also sold as Copiapoa carrizalensis. These are hand-held photos, without a closeup lens, taken by Lynn-Marie.

It's possible that some of my friends in Southern California may say that I'm overly cautious, but I can only speak to the growing conditions experienced here in the Pacific Northwest of the United States.