Cactacea - Botanical Family

This small shrub, growing only 2-5 ft, does best in semi-shade and requires regular water. Moderate water from spring to autumn, being careful to avoid over-watering during the winter months. This cuckoo cactus will put out off-white, showy flowers and add colorful, ornamental foliage all year long.Grown in USDA Zone 9-11, Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa Orchid Cactus is a great choice for adding horizontal interest to baskets and trellis, and even as a novelty plant in any garden or patio. However, if in colder regions and preferring to grow in a pot, precautions must be taken, such as bringing the pot indoors or insulating it in a shed or greenhouse. Growers must also take care with overwintering and observe the minimum cold hardiness to have successful blooms. When these criteria are met, Epiphyllum guatemalense Monstrosa will be a unique addition to any garden, patio, basket or wall.

Epiphyllum hookeri is a small shrub native to Central America. It is an epiphytic cactus, meaning its stems cling to other plants for support and can grow as tall as 20 feet. The plant produces large, white or off-white flowers that measure about 8 inches wide and open at night. Additionally, the stigma of the flower has a bright red color with a yellow, star-shaped tip.

Epiphyllum hookeri can be grown in USDA Zone 9-11, given the right treatment and conditions. The ideal location is in semi-shade and with moist, not overly wet soil. During the growing season, some additional water may be necessary. For indoor care, the plant should be placed in a bright, light spot but kept away from direct sunlight. The soil should be watered regularly, but not allowed to dry out completely.

In regions with colder winters, Epiphyllum hookeri should be protected from frosty temperatures. Outdoor plants can be moved into an area such as a greenhouse or protected with an insulating layer of mulch. When grown in a container, the pot should be placed in an area with indirect sunlight and protected from temperatures below 50F. Water the plant whenever the soil begins to dry, and apply a balanced, slow-release fertilizer in the springtime. During its dormant period in winter, reduce watering, misting and fertilizing.

Epiphyllum hookeri is also well-suited for terrariums, as long as it receives semi-shady, humid conditions and regularly misted, mimicking its natural habitat. With proper winter protection, the plant can survive for many years in colder climates.

This special cactus grows in tropical rainforests and has large wide meaty leaves. The flower is huge, white, fragrant, and nocturnal. Blooms at night hours, hence the name. One of the most exotic indoor plants. The plant is common around Veracruz, Mexico, a coastal area that borders the Gulf of Mexico. In this area, the weather is extremely humid, and the temperatures vary quite broadly, from 60 to 120 F, with a rainy season that lasts from May to October.

Queen of the Night is a very popular and yet mysterious plant. The flowers open once a year after sunset for one night. However the flowering period can last a month or two during the warm season. So each flower lasts only one night, but there will be more flowers to come! In the Nature, Queen of the Night grows on trees in the jungles of Central and South America. It is very easy to grow as an indoor plant in colder climates. In tropical and subtropical areas, grown outside in hanging baskets.

If grown from cutting, it may take 2-3 years until the plant starts blooming.

Propagation Methods: by dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets); leaf cuttings, herbaceous stem cuttings.

Synonyms: Epiphyllum latifrons, Phyllocactus acuminatus, Epiphyllum acuminatum, Epiphyllum grande, Phyllocactus latifrons, Cereus latifrons, Phyllocactus oxypetalus, Cereus oxypetalus, Phyllocactus grandis.

Epiphyllums are very popular house plants, with numerous hybrids and cultivars produced.

The flowers are large, 8-16 cm diameter, white to red, with numerous petals.

Espostoa is a genus of columnar cacti native to the Andes of Peru and Ecuador, known for their dense covering of white woolly hairs. These slow-growing plants thrive in full sun, well-drained soil, and dry conditions, making them popular in arid gardens and collections for their striking texture and appearance.

This small size and relatively easy care requirements make this genus very popular in cultivation. Among the most popular is the red-flowered, G. baldianum and the unusually colored G. mihanovichii. The latter of these is even more popular as a grafted mutation of either variegated or chlorophyll-lacking, bright red plants incapable of surviving on their own roots.

Harrisia pomanensis is a spiny, evergreen, somewhat shrubby cactus with stems around 20 - 40mm in diameter that are more or less erect though sometimes arched and even prostrate. Harrisia bonplandii has white nocturnal flowers.

Epiphytic catus; stem jointed in segments; branches are flattened and weep gracefully. They are named after the seasons of their blooming.

The soil should be evenly moist for best growth, but they are intolerant to constantly wet soil and poor aeration. Allow to dry slightly between waterings.