My neighbor gave me this plant a couple months ago as she is moving soon and cannot take it with so she's "cleaning house". She couldn't remember what it was called, but I'm dying of curiosity. I've spent a lot of time searching on the net already and although I've found a few plants that were CLOSE, there were none that were the same, or had the exact same set of characteristics. Anyone know what this is or how to take care of it? I hung it off the side of my kids' play set at the end of the summer and it seemed to do just fine with indirect light and getting watered by the lawn sprinkler, but it got left out a bit too long with some freezes (had some unexpected early snow in the middle of October) It's indoors in a brand new hanging pot now but the "leaves" and "stems" started to yellow and brown and get mushy. Should I trim all the dying pieces off??? Is that a result of the freezing or is it some kind of fungus? Any help for this inept plants-newbie would be appreciated. Thanks a bunch!
It's an epiphyllum. Which one I don't know. They are too tender to be left out in freezes and snow, although appreciate the summers outdoors in dappled sun/shade, as you had done. Cut off all of the mushy bits (was probably affected by cold/frost), and it will resprout from any healthy tissue. If there are some healthy bits that are cut off from the Mother plant but unhealthy bits, cut those off, dry them for a few weeks and then pot them up. Epiphyllums root easily. Google 'epiphyllum' to get inspired about what kind of blooms they produce. Hope this helps.
It looks to me like some kind of succulent that's been surviving in dark conditions, and so trailed all over hunting for light! And probably should be allowed to dry out a lot in between waterings (as you've discovered). Other than that, I'm sorry, I can't help, but others will.
i have one,the guy that sold it to me called it an orchid cactus,isnt really a cactus though,when thay bloom they open at night,flowers are white and quite beautiful.mine bloomed a couple of weeks ago and had over 40 blooms.
it is an orchid cactus its a forest cactus like the christmas cactus, they can come in lots of colours like red,yellow,pink and the night blooming white. they like to be dry between waterings to have full sun, and quite a bit of fertilizer during the growing season. the make them bloom they do need a small temperature change in the spring but nothing below 10 degrees celcius. they are supposed to be a trailing plant so its not stretching for the light at all, thats the way is is supposed to look.
Wow, thank you to EVERYONE for your VERY helpful replies! They're all over the board but it definately gets me helpful information to start digging with!!!! I've really felt like this plant is trying to "talk" so I will definately be seeking out more information so I can properly care for this over the winter and allow it flourish. This is the second time I've been here, and the second time I've gotten great help from the people here. You guys rock! Thanks a bunch ~ Ann (Rayven)
UPDATE: I've not only saved this plant, it seems to be thriving (which for me is a rarity! - see pics). It loves it's location in a north-facing window of my kitchen (gets plenty of indirect light), has sprouted MULTIPLE new "branches" and is sprouting these tiny little...tubey-hair-looking things all over the stems & leaves. Strange, but fun to watch. One of the pieces of stem I initially broke off while trying to trim it actually rooted too and has grown several new branches of it's own! Just wanted to give you an update and once again say thank you for your help in saving this cool looking plant.
May need more light, if you start getting nothing but tubular growth without the paddle-like portions it needs a different situation.
I thought these were supposed to have very indirect light?? Of course, I live in Michigan, all winter light is pretty much indirect after it comes through the CLOUD COVER (ick ;-P)
Grown out of doors in tropical areas in pretty bright exposures. Wild species to tree branches and other places where there would be more light than below a dense forest canopy (hence "orchid cactus").
It's a pity these plants are known as "epiphyllums" as this creates endless confusion with the genus Epiphyllum. In fact these hybrid "orchid cacti" probably do not even have any Epiphyllum in their parentage, being derived mainly from species which these days are nearly all included in the genus Disocactus.
To Ron B.... Curious... SOME of the new pieces sprouting are very clearly developing into the flat green branches, and are sprouting from very distinct points on the plant. The little tubey things are kind of sprouting all over the place, like in the middle of the paddles/leaves and so forth. Why the different types in different places (and some right next to each other) if it's the light that's an issue? Wouldn't they ALL be having a problem?
Genus Epiphyllum consists of about 20 species of night-blooming cacti, all with white flowers (or cream at most). The best known species is E. oxypetalum. The so-called "epiphyllums", better called orchid cacti, are hybrids between species that were formerly placed in the genera Nopalxochia, Heliocereus, Aporocactus, Disocactus and maybe Selenicereus. The first four of these have now been merged into the single genus Disocactus. Orchid cacti come in a range of colors from cream to yellow, orange, pink, red or purple and are mostly day-blooming. They tend to have a more sprawling or pendulous habit than true Epiphyllum, and often have new shoots from the base that are not flattened and have short soft spines.
To TonyR... Thank you for that helpful information, that clears it up a bit, and explains why finding out what this is exactly was so difficult. the new shoots you refer to...are those the little "sprouts" that are poking out of the leaves & stems? (are leaves/stems even the proper term for these? LOL) Also, the term disocactus... I assume because of the cactus in the name it would need relatively infrequent but deep watering, correct? Thanks for your help.
