Epiphyllum

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These plants are often called 'Orchid Cactus', and their habitats are in Central America including; Mexico, honduras and Guatemala. these cacti grow in an Epiphyte form beneath the cover of forests sending their sprawling stems over rocks and branches to look for new places to put down roots. They may best be grown in hanging baskets even though some varieties can become too bulky and heavy to remain in a hanging format.

True Epiphyllum species have basically white flowers and many of them are hard to find in cultivation. There are hundreds and perhaps even thousands of Epiphyllum hybrids and their flower colors come in almost every color range except perhaps blues and browns. There are so many hybrid varieties and Epiphyllum variations that it's difficult to imagine anyone being able to collect all of them. Perhaps, it's a good idea to pick a few favorites of these plants out of all the choices, because each plant can grow very large and take over a lot of house plant space.

Epiphyllum make very well adjusted house plants and can be watered, misted and treated as thought they were a kind of broad leaf house plant. Caring for them is very much like keeping any other tropical house plant and 'Orchid Cactus' plants need to be kept warm in the winter. In the summer they can become outdoor hanging plants for a patio space as long as they are in partial sun and a location with mid day shade. Even though they look like leafy plants they are truly like all cacti and grow as stem plants.

Epiphyte forms of cacti, like Epiphyllum are sometimes mistakes as a sort of broad leaf cactus plant. They are actually without leaves and are basically long flimsy two ribbed cactus stems growing ones segment at a time. Small segments of these plants may have three of four ribs, and as they grow they narrow themselves down to two ribs growing opposite each other on the stem.

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