While this species experiences slightly more frequent rainfall events than the hyper-arid northern species, it remains deeply dependent on the daily Camanchaca fog rolling inland to sustain its baseline hydration. Its main metabolic activity, root development, and vegetative growth occur during the cool, high-humidity window of late winter and spring. It drops into a highly defensive, protective dormancy to survive the intense, dry summer heat. In cultivation, it requires a lean, strictly inorganic, mineral-dominant substrate (such as 80% pumice mixed with decomposed granite) and should be watered carefully, focusing moisture on the cool shoulder seasons when nights are consistently crisp.