This low-altitude coastal form thrives in an environment with almost nonexistent annual rainfall, relying entirely on the dense marine Camanchaca fog for survival. Its core metabolic processes and vegetative growth are heavily concentrated during the high-humidity months of late winter and spring when the fog is most persistent. It drops into a deep, defensive dormancy to prevent desiccation during the intense dry heat of mid-summer. In cultivation, it requires an extremely lean, strictly inorganic, mineral-heavy substrate (like an 80% pumice and crushed granite mix) and must be watered with extreme caution, restricting moisture to the cool shoulder seasons.