In Bloom with the Orchid Cactus

In Bloom with the Orchid Cactus

With the name "orchid cactus" you would feel that it would have a passing resemblance to an actual orchid or an actual cactus. Well, it blooms like an orchid but it is in the cactus family in the Epiphyllum genus. Wild varieties were brought from Central and South America and then cultivated here in the United States so that cactus hobbyist could enjoy their bloom times.

The orchid cactus, sometimes referred to as jungle cactus, produces beautiful, aromatic flowers that typically open and close within a single night. They have to bloom at night so that they can cross pollinate with the help of bats and moths who also only are active at night.

Perfect for the Home

Thanks to many diligent horticulturists, the orchid cactus has evolved into quite a few different hybrids, created from manual cross-breeding. This cross breeding has produced a sturdier plant that can grow in climate controlled homes or even outdoors in warmer, tropical climates that rarely have freezing temperatures.

Thanks to hybridization, the orchid cactus comes in a variety of colors with all having a lovely, sweet fragrance. Large white blossoms are popular and some of them have creamy, almost yellowish tints near the center of the bloom. Fuchsia colored flowers are another popular variety available and quite a few of them have small yellow centers.

Many of the orchid cacti have long, drooping stalks with no spiny needles which make it perfect for hanging baskets for the home. Displayed on the patio of your home, orchid cactus also thrive in large pots tall enough so that the "arms" do not drag the ground and risk the chance of being stepped on. They can also be planted in the ground as long as they have a trellis with tight weaves available for climbing purposes.

Propagation

If your orchid cactus is becoming rather prolific with its drooping stalks, you can propagate by taking cuttings of the stalks. This propagation is best accomplished in the spring and summer months so that the cuttings have time to take root during the warmer months before they go dormant in the late fall and winter. Waiting until dormancy increases the chances of your orchid cactus cuttings either dying or limping along with root rot.

Propagate the orchid cactus by cutting a complete stem from the plant and then make another cut just a few millimeters below an areole, which is a notch-like place on the stem. This cutting should dry completely and skin over for a few weeks before inserting into a pot filled with cactus soil. Do not water the new orchid cactus cutting for at least a week and then only sparingly until the cutting totally roots in. Caring and propagating an orchid cactus is so easy that even those with black thumbs could do it!