Description: This amazing epiphyllum, a member of the cactus family from the tropical rain forests of Central and South America, can be easily grown in your home. It is a fast growing plant and may show you many fragrant, dinner-plate size flowers as it ages. Sometimes called a night blooming cereus, but actually it is not of the cereus genus but is in the epiphyllum genus. It can also be called orchid cactus but is not an orchid at all.Epiphyllum oxypetalum is the scientific name for this unusual cactus that is more commonly known as “night blooming cereus” or “queen of the night” because the blooms appear in the evening. The blooms can sometimes cover the entire plant and are spectacular. This unique cactus is easy to start from a cutting in early spring, when the Epiphyllum Oxypetalum is coming out of its dormant period.Although it grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12, it's usually grown as a houseplant. Growing Information:· Sunlight:• This plant will do well in lots of bright light all year long. Needs bright, filtered light for indoors and partial shade for out door.• It is a “shade plants” only in hot climates – where they can spend the summer near a protective north wall or in the dappled shade from a tree. Otherwise, they need sunlight in fall, winter, and spring, and shade only when summer sun becomes searing hot. · Soil Conditions:• A light, porous, humus-rich mixture or a nice light mix of sand, perlite, and a bit of sphagnum peat that will hold some moisture would be good for this plant and yet will drain quickly.• The soil should be coarse, not finely sifted; slightly acid; and for further aeration and purification, generously supplied with small bits of crushed charcoal.• Nitrogen-rich fertilizers are not recommended. · Lifecycle:• Evergreen Grow form Cutting: • Cut a 4” – 6” cutting from an epiphyllum oxypetalum. Let the cuttings dry and cool, until the cut edge is dry or forms a callus. (It may take several days - 2 weeks, depending on the size of the cut surface. If the cutting looks a bit shriveled, it will re-hydrate once it's planted.) Cacti are susceptible to rot, and this step will minimize the chances of that.• Fill a container (with drainage holes in the bottom) with coarse potting mixture. Dampen the potting mixture lightly with a spray bottle. Insert the cutting 1.5” - 2” deep into the slightly moist rooting medium.• Put container in good light but not sun. Do not water and keep temperatures 65-75°F (18-23°C). If the days are hot, only mist the cutting not the soil. Cutting will root in several weeks.• Transplant the rooted cuttings into the proper medium, water as mentioned above.• Throughout the process, handle the cuttings with care; bruises or broken spots on stems or new roots give fungus rot a way to enter. · Care and Maintenance:• The active growing season starts in early spring. The plants need constant moisture in the air and for the roots. Misting or spraying the stems, except when the plants are in bud or flower, both humidifies and cleans the leaves of clogging dust.• Fertilize the plant monthly during the spring and summer with a low-nitrogen liquid product. If you have added a light humus to the potting mixture, a newly potted plant will not need feeding for the first year. • Epiphyllums enjoy moist air and some sun. If the weather is mild, the pots are best moved outdoors.• In winter, give the plants a slight drying off during its dormancy but never let them become perfectly dry. Note:v If kept too wet you may see root rot.v Do not give it direct sun in hot day or it will get sunburned, get brown spots and dry up.v Epiphyllums comes from the rain forest with plenty of cloudy days. It loves the outdoors but cannot tolerate temperatures below 40°F (4°). Bring the plant inside before the temps drop too much in the fall. It prefers a bright location in door, day temps of 68-72° F (20-22°C) and night temps of 50-55°F (10-13°C).v If having difficulty getting blooms, you can try using a fertilizer low in nitrogen and high in phosphorus.
Price: 8.25 USD
Location: Irvine, California
End Time: 2024-11-22T07:00:36.000Z
Shipping Cost: 4.25 USD
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Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 14 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Brand: Unbranded
Type: Orchids
Genus: Epiphyllum
Common Name: Orchid Cactus
Item Length: 4 in
