Copiapoa esmeraldana | Mist Emerald
€53,00 €37,10
🌱 Morphology
Amidst mists... Slow-growing Copiapoa, generally solitary, although it can form small cushions with age. The body is globose, 3–7 cm in diameter, green to reddish-brown, with a slightly depressed apex covered in abundant white wool, especially during flowering. It has 13–16 ribs divided into rounded and markedly prominent tubercles. The areoles, about 3–4 mm, are spaced apart and develop 6–8 fine radial spines, 5–10 mm, and 1–4 more robust, straight central spines, up to 2 cm, initially brown and later ash gray. It has a large tuberous root, adapted to the extreme aridity of its habitat.
🌍 Distribution, habitat and family
Species endemic to a small area in northern Chile, south of Esmeralda, in the Antofagasta Region, where it grows approximately between 200 and 800 m altitude, on coastal hills and cliffs subjected to the influence of the camanchaca. It belongs to the Cactaceae family, Cactoideae subfamily, Copiapoeae tribe. The name used follows the classification of Joël Lodé, Taxonomía de las Cactáceas, volumes III–VI, 2026. Copiapoa humilis var. esmeraldana is a historical name.
❄️ Temperature · USDA Zone 10a–11b
Tolerates minimum temperatures of down to 2 ºC, provided it is kept completely dry. It comes from an extremely arid coastal climate, but with relatively moderate temperatures, so it should be protected from frost and, especially, from the combination of cold and humidity.
☀️ Lighting
It requires very intense lighting, preferably in full sun, although in its habitat the camanchaca can temporarily reduce direct radiation. High exposure promotes a compact habit and the characteristic coloration of the epidermis. As a guide during active growth, a DLI PAR of 20–30 mol·m⁻²·day⁻¹ is recommended.
💧 Growth cycle and watering
Winter rest. It is a species adapted to conditions of extreme aridity. During the active period, moderate and widely spaced watering is recommended, allowing the substrate to dry out completely before watering again. In autumn, water intake is progressively reduced until it is kept completely dry during the winter. Prolonged humidity should be avoided especially.
🌸 Flowering
The flowers emerge from between the wool of the apex and are pale yellow, fragrant, and markedly bell-shaped, about 3–3.5 cm long and up to 4 cm in diameter. The bracts of the floral tube have reddish-brown tones. The fruits are spherical, pale greenish-red. Flowering occurs mainly during spring and summer.
🌿 Nutrition
During the active growth period, a fertilizer with a high content of assimilable calcium and low levels of nitrogen is recommended, such as Desert CHOICE® Cactáceas, applied once a month when watering. Before flowering, it can be complemented with Desert CHOICE® Floración.
This is an inimitable xerophyte grown in Madrid in a high-tech square pot and with the substrate activated with mycorrhizal fungi and biofungicides.
9x9 cm pot
13x13 cm pot
16x16 cm pot
* As this is an online purchase, the appearance of the specimen sent may vary slightly from the product image. The measurements of the plant are specified in the photo description, but this may also vary slightly, because, it is a living being! Each of the plants at Desert CITY has unique characteristics.
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