Orchid Cactus
Epiphyllum
The orchid cactus is a day-blooming hybrid of the night-blooming cereus. There are several different cultivars available featuring red, white, orange, or yellow flowers. The blooms of this cactus house plant are large and quite showy.
This is the pink underside of a white bloom.
You can only see it when the flower is closed.
Epiphyllum are large spineless plants. They grow wide as opposed to high and are pendulous. They should be grown in hanging baskets or 12 inch pots placed on stands to elevate them. Give each plant three feet of space. Placing three rooted stems in each container will give a fuller look than just one. Keep in mind when hanging them that a mature plant will be heavy when wet.
Orchid Cactus Growing on Rocks
Dagli Orti, D.
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Feed it monthly throughout the growing season with any good proprietary fertilizer. Keep it moist in summer and nearly dry in winter, but do not allow the leaves to wither. Mist the plant frequently if you are growing it in an arid environment.
An orchid cactus will not tolerate sub-freezing temperatures. It may live, but most of the top growth will be lost and it will take more than a year to recover. On the other hand, it needs to be exposed to some cool weather in order to set buds. Here in Florida, they flush regularly from winter through early summer (as long as they are not touched by frost) until the heat shuts them down until the following fall.
It also takes a lot of light to induce bloom. Last year, I had one inside my screen room and one hanging outside in a tree. The one in my shady screen room refused to bloom until I hung it outside where the light was more intense.
Propagate this cactus by placing 6 inch cuttings directly into soil.
The crown of thorns plant is hardy outdoors in USDA zones 9a-11. It grows well as a houseplant in colder climates.
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Easy care flowering house plants. The best blooming indoor plants to grow for success with house plants.
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