Copiapoa gigantea

A large clump-forming cactus from the fog-bathed coastal hills around Paposo and Taltal in Chile's Atacama, with chalky grey-green stems, golden spines and lemon-yellow flowers. It lives with almost no rain but cool, humid sea air, so it needs full sun, mild temperatures and very sparse watering.

At home, aim for

Day Cool-growingTargets in Plantistry

Night Close to the dayTargets in Plantistry

Humidity Dry airBand in Plantistry

Light Full sunDLI and PPFD in Plantistry

Expects a seasonal restGrows in the ground

Where it grows wild

Coastal slopes and rocky hillsides of the Atacama fog zone, where moisture comes mainly from the camanchaca sea fog rather than rain.

Recorded at 20–610 m (median 240 m) on the coastal escarpment.

Chile (Antofagasta)Chile (northern Atacama)

🔒 Growing it like that

The wild conditions above, turned into targets for a shelf, a tent or a greenhouse. The full profile has:

✓ Day and night temperature targets, and the limits it tolerates

✓ Humidity band, and how to hold it

✓ Light as DLI and PPFD for a grow light

✓ Wet and dry seasons, and whether to rest it

✓ Substrate and airflow

✓ A step-by-step setup to grow it like the wild

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Profiles are drafts built from measured range and climate and from published sources; each section carries its own confidence in the app. Photo from Wikimedia Commons, used under its CC0 licence, unmodified.