CACTUS

Peruvian Apple Cactus - an underrated fruiting cactus that deserves more attention. Cereus repandus produces smooth, thornless fruits in shades of red, purple, or yellow, with white, juicy flesh filled with small crunchy seeds. The flavor is light, mildly sweet, and refreshing - often compared to dragon fruit, but a bit more subtle. In parts of South America, these fruits are enjoyed fresh and valued as a local food source.
The plant is a tall, upright columnar cactus with a clean, architectural look, perfect for adding height and structure in your garden or containers. It also puts on a quiet show at night, with large flowers that open for just one evening before setting fruit.
Unlike what many expect, this cactus does not want to stay dry all the time. During active growth, it benefits from regular watering as long as the soil drains well. Give it full sun, warmth, and good airflow, and it will reward you with both a sculptural presence and a crop of unique, edible fruit.

Anthonys Rick-Rack. This curious epiphyte is grown for the strange leaves which lend it the common name Ric-Rac Cactus, Zig-Zag or Fishbone Cactus. In the wild it attaches itself to trees, clinging by little aerial root filaments along the zigzagging succulent leaves, but is adaptable to terrestrial habits. It loves strong yet indirect lighting. It does not need a lot of water and should be permitted to dry out entirely between waterings. It is nightblooming and its flowers last only a single night in spring.

Disocactus ackermanni, also called the Red Orchid Cactus, puts on a jaw-dropping show with huge, blazing red flowers that can reach 6 inches wide! It's a cactus that acts nothing like one - and then bursts out in flowers the size of your hand.
It blooms from spring through summer and steals the spotlight every time. The plant grows like a lush, green fern with flat stems that drape and cascade like a living chandelier.
It may be a cactus, but it loves water and shade - more diva than desert. Native to the tropical forests of Mexico, this epiphyte thrives in a hanging basket and turns heads wherever it grows.
Why do collectors search for it? Because it's rare, eye-catching, and just plain fun to grow. No spines, no drama - just bold flowers and easy charm. This is one of those plants that visitors always ask about. If you're a collector, it's not a want - it's a need. In cultivation, it has been confused with Disocactus jenkinsonii, a hybrid between D. phyllanthoides and D. speciosus.

Easter Lily Cactus is native to Brazil and Argentina. It is a globular cactus that produces splendid night-blooming, white fragrant flowers up to 10" long.

This crazy little cactus makes a wonderful hanging basket specimen and quite the conversation piece with its twisted, arching limbs. A night bloom epiphytic cactus with curly twisting leaves, Epiphyllum curly locks is an example of a cactus that uses its stems to capture more moisture and light. The plant has curly, curved stems which are the result of a mutation of a plant called Epiphyllum guatemalense. The name for this mutated cactus is Epiphyllum monstrosa - a jungle cactus native to Guatemala and will attach itself to a tree and live off of the composting debris that collects in the crook of the tree. Commonly called Orchid Cactus due to the blooms resembling orchid blossoms. The flowers are fragrant and usually open at night. Oval, bright pink seedy fruits form once blooms are pollinated. These fruits are juicy and edible. The plant is also self-pollinating and fruits can form even without the intervention of insects and mammals.
Epiphyllum are sensitive to being moved so choosing spot in bright, indirect light would work best. Epiphyllum will also only bloom when root bound, so take this into consideration when repotting.

Large-Fruiting Night-Blooming Climbing Orchid Cactus. A fast-growing epiphytic cactus with long, flat, cascading segments that give it a lush, tropical look even before it blooms. This seed-grown type is especially valued for its potential to produce large, edible fruit, making it more than just an ornamental plant.
The real highlight comes at night - when mature, it produces huge, fragrant white flowers that open after sunset and last just one night. The blooms are dramatic and elegant, often reaching impressive size, with a soft glow that almost looks unreal in the dark.
After flowering, the plant can set smooth, elongated fruit with mild, slightly sweet flesh. While flavor can vary from seed-grown plants, some turn out to be surprisingly good and larger than typical epiphyllum fruit.
Easy to grow and rewarding:
- Thrives in bright shade or filtered sun
- Prefers well-drained soil and regular watering
- Ideal for hanging baskets or containers where stems can cascade naturally
A unique addition to your garden - combining striking night blooms with the bonus of edible fruit.
Other names: E. strictum, E. stenopetalum, E. phyllanthus, Hookers Orchid Cactus

Belle de Nuit, Lady of the Night, Queen of the Night, Night blooming Cereus - powerfully fragrant at night! This special cactus grows in tropical rainforests and has large wide meaty leaves. The flower is huge, white, and nocturnal. Blooms at night hours, hence the name. One of the most exotic indoor plants.

This is a very valuable edible used as a vegetable, with many medicinal properties. One of them is amazing affect on diabetes, people who regularly use this vegetable in their diet claim they were able to get rid of this illness. Stir fry or saute with some onions, garlic, etc.
Prickly Pear is fast-growing desert plant with showy bright red flowers. Drought tolerant, but also doesn't mind Florida rains. It will grow in neglect and pretty much any conditions. Perfect for easy landscaping.

Spectacular bloomer! With foliage resembling an Orchid Cactus (Epiphyllum), Blue Flame is a rare epiphyte from the rainforests of the Amazon jungle. This is a spineless tropical cactus that blooms bright purple flowers. Flowers emerge along the leaf edges from late spring through early summer, and blooms for a couple of weeks. Early springtime flowers are magenta, but summer flowers have the distinctive blue tip on the magenta flower. Mature leaves are about 12" long. Blue Flame prefers a hot, humid environment similar to its jungle habitat. Grow in porous cactus soil or Adenium Mix in partial sun to bright, indirect light.

Orchid Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, Christmas Cactus, Crab Cactus...
Spectacular, large-flower variety that flowers twice a season, 'New Deal' is a remarkable "Christmas cactus" hybrid, completely lost to the trade today, which is being offered here for the first time after it was originally offered for purchase at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden over 80 years ago. That institution was having a special rare plant sale on the day of the famous presidential election on November 8, 1932, when F.D.R. was historically voted in as the next American president. Not only is New Deal an exceptionally obscure, heirloom cultivar especially easy to grow under average house plant conditions, it reliably produces almost an overabundance of brilliant violet-pink and white flowers which are easily an inch larger than any other variety. The plants we are offering are all 3rd generation vegetative propagation from an original specimen (still alive btw). Its name is identical to President Franklin D. Roosevel main campaign slogan.
You could call Schlumbergera New Deal a long-blooming holiday cactus or a Thanksgiving-to-Easter cactus, since it often flowers first around Thanksgiving and Christmas, then produces a second flush closer to Easter.

See Article about this plant.

Starfish Flower, Giant Toad Flower, Carrion Flower. This spine-free succulent, Stapelia gigantea, is one of the plant world's giants and belongs to the milkweed family. It thrives in dry desert areas from Tanzania to South Africa. Its name "Carrion" comes from its unique scent that's similar to rotting meat, attracting pollinating flies who find the aroma irresistible. The standout feature of this plant is its large, fleshy star-shaped flowers, flaunting pale ochre-yellow petals with thin maroon lines. It blooms in the fall when daylight hours shorten. Despite its unusual smell, it makes for a stunning container plant with its 4-angled, succulent stems that grow upright to 8-12" before sprawling sideways. Plants in the ground can reach up to 24" wide. When it seeds, each pod looks like a mini milkweed parachute. Let's also appreciate its interesting background - the genus name honors Dutch physician Johannes Bodaeus van Stapel from the 1600s.
See video: Bizzare starfish flower - Stapelia gigantea.

Red Rhipsalis. Arched then completely pendant flat tapeworm stems turn deep violet red in high light; tiny flowers followed by ornamental shell berries lining both edges of the ribbon stems most attractively.

Rhipsalis pilocarpa is an incredibly rare, "hairy-fruited wickerware cactus" from Brazil that's bound to wow any plant lover. Its fuzzy, spidery stems can reach up to 20 inches before branching out, and they're decorated with small, white to peach-colored flowers that release a light, pleasant fragrance. After blooming, it produces pink or red berries covered in fine bristles, adding yet another layer of charm to this extraordinary jungle cactus.
Despite its exotic appearance, Rhipsalis pilocarpa is surprisingly easy to grow. It thrives with minimal watering in well-draining soil, prefers indirect light, and loves warm, humid conditions - think tropical vibes! If you're lucky enough to live in USDA Zones 9-11, it can even flourish outdoors all year long.
The plant is listed as vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, it has a very limited natural range in Brazil and is known to exist in only a small number of isolated locations. Additionally, its rarity can lead to over-collection by plant enthusiasts, which adds extra pressure on remaining wild populations.
This is a true conversation starter, making it a must-have for anyone seeking a standout addition to their rare plant collection.