Like its relatives in the cinerea complex, this species relies heavily on coastal fog for moisture. Its primary growth occurs during the cooler, high-humidity months of late winter and spring. It enters a defensive dormancy during the peak of the hot, dry summer. Because it is adapted to an incredibly lean, mineral environment, it is extremely prone to root rot if over-watered or kept in organic-heavy soil. In cultivation, it thrives in a very gritty, inorganic mix and prefers deep, infrequent "fog-mimicking" waterings rather than sustained soil saturation.