I have cared for this cactus for 30 years indoors. Until recently it was a compact tower shape, about a foot in height. Recently it started to open and splay. There are still green tips but some peripheral branches are drooping. No change in watering, environment etc. Have transplanted it to a new larger pot and no change yet. Can you identify the cactus and the problem for me? Thank you. Steve
Haven't changed my watering schedule and soil was very dry on transplant, but I can try that, simple enough... Thank you.
Well some could have better advice for you, that is just my thoughts. I mean, most desert plants are dry and infrequently get water, so. It is something I noticed with my aloe plant, if it is too wet it turns brown and doesn't seem to like it so I let it dry out for awhile. Another thing you could try is a humidity tray (set the plant onto a dish/tray of water) and infrequently water, while filling up the H-tray.
Do you have a picture of the plant when it looked better? Did it have as many stems then? It is not easy to tell what it is, it looks as if it has grown in low light for a prolonged period which has caused the stems to grow unnaturally long and thin. I am not sure, but it looks like a 'Fairy Castle' with an unusually large number of stems. Are the stems soft at the base?
I think your ID is correct. Unfortunately I don't have a picture when the plant was healthy. It has lived in my bay window for years with an eastern exposure. Some branches are floppy. Now noticing many branches are shrinking in diameter so seems dehydrated to me. Overall health seems bad. Don't think soft at the base. Floppy branches are floppy throughout.
When a cactus loses water rapidly it usually has to do with the root system. I would unpot the plant and examine the roots carefully and look for signs of disease and pests like root mealy bugs.
