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Description: Copiapoa cinerea is one of the
most famous and admired species of cacti with chalky/white stems covered with wool
at the apex, which contrasts well with the sparse, jet-black spines. The
white spined form is quite unusual and rarely seen in cultivation. It is
a solitary, or slowly offsetting, globular to columnar cactus.
Stems: Up to 1.2 m tall, 10-20 cm in diameter. In cultivation the white waxy bloom is often
not produced, revealing a brownish epidermis. The epidermis of the white
spined form has a sensitive epidermis, that is almost always marked with
fungal spots and cracks.
Ribs: 12-30 broad, obtuse;
Central spines: 1 or 2 up to long, terete, glassy white;
Radial spines: 5- 7
Flowers: Yellow funnelform, 1.5 to 2.5 cm in diameter,
occasionally with a pink or reddish tint.
The Ovary is naked;
it needs a lot of
sunlight to bloom, so it's pretty rare to have blossoms when in
cultivation in greenhouses.
Fruit: 1.5 to 2 cm. long;
Seeds: Black and shining.
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Cultivation: This
extremely slow growing cactus is kept for the beauty of its form.
It
must be protected from excessive heat and sun in
summer, and seems to do best in cultivation with a bit of shade.
It requires light but regular waterings in summer, but let the soil
mix dry between waterings, Prone to rot if over-watered.
Needs good drainage.
Keep warm and dry in
winter (10°C) to avoid rot. Not highly tolerant of a great deal
of frost. (Frost tolerance 0°C)
Propagation: Grafting or by
cuttings from adult plants.
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Cultivation and Mail Sale 
