Epiphyllum (Epiphyllum) is a bright representative of the Cactus family.
Homeland – tropical forests of Central and South America. In nature, most of these cacti grow as epiphytes. The name comes from Greek and literally refers to the presence of leaves on the plant: “eri” – “from above”, “phyllum” – “leaf”. Popular names are phyllocereus, phyllocactus. The first description of culture was made by E. Haworth. It happened in 1812. Having given the plant such a name, the scientist emphasized that his flowers form on leaves. But, as it was established later, these are stems that have changed their appearance.
Leaves, flowers and fruits of epiphyllum
A cactus called epiphyllum is a flowering plant with large leaf-like shoots. The stems are long, wide, belt-like or trihedral, with a pronounced central vein, without spines, fleshy, with notches along the edges. The leaves are formed as small scales and are located in the recesses under the areoles.
Blooms in spring and summer. The flowers are fragrant, large, very beautiful, with satin petals, they come in all colors of the rainbow, the flower tube is long. For these unsurpassed characteristics, the plant was popularly nicknamed the “orchid cactus”.
With artificial cross-pollination, fruits appear in the epiphyllum. They are quite large – like a plum. The outer surface is yellowish-green or purple (this is affected by the color of the flowers), often covered with needles. The fruits are distinguished by edible pulp – juicy, fragrant, sweetish, slightly reminiscent of the taste of a mixture of pineapple and strawberries. Inside there are a small number of black seeds, the length of which reaches about 2 mm.
How the fruits that the epiphyllum flower brings look from the outside and in the context, look at the photos below:
Types and varietal forms of epiphyllums: description and photo at the time of flowering
Scientists point to the existence of about 20 natural species and more than 200 hybrid varietal forms of this plant. The main differences between them are in color, shape of flowers and stems.
The most popular types of epiphyllum cactus in gardening are:
Epiphyllum angular (E. anguliger).
Epiphyllum sour (E. oxypetalum).
Epiphyllum acute (E. ohupelalum).
Epiphyllum jagged (E. crenatum).
Epiphyllum Lau (E. laui Kimnach).
Epiphyllum Ackerman (E. ackermanii).
Epiphyllum Cooper (E. cooperi).
The angular epiphyllum is a bushy type plant. Its stems are decumbent, painted in a dark green hue. Most often they are flat, with deep grooves along the edges. Shoots can grow about 1 m long, about 8 cm wide. The plant is practically not covered with needles. In separate areoles, bristly villi are located instead of spines. The cactus blooms during the summer, its flowers have the finest smell and snow-white color. The diameter of the inflorescences is from 10 to 15 cm.
The home flower of the sour-petal epiphyllum species is distinguished by flexible rod-shaped stems, almost 3 meters long and 10 centimeters wide. The leaves are flat, wavy, have a bright green tint. In the summer, at night, tubular white inflorescences about 20 cm long and approximately 18 cm wide appear on the tips of the shoots.
The sharp-petaled epiphyllum species is characterized by the presence of erect stems. The shoots are flattened, lignified below, painted in a light shade of green. In young stems, the shape is oval, pointed. In length, they grow up to 30 cm, and in width – up to 12 cm. The plant blooms at night. The flowers are either white or cream-colored, intensely and pleasantly scented.
Rate the beauty of the epiphyllum of this species at the time of flowering in the photo below:
The serrated cactus is a collection of fleshy, flat stems dyed blue-green. They grow no more than 70 cm long and about 10 cm wide. The leaves are decorated with embossed notches. The plant blooms in summer with pink, yellow, white flowers, the diameter of which is about 15 cm.
Epiphyllum Lau has the following description: stems 2 cm in diameter, side shoots 7 cm wide, needles 5 mm long, hairy, brown-yellow. Total spines – from 1 to 5. The color blooms in the evening, lasts no more than 48 hours, then crumbles.
Epiphyllum Ackerman has stems reaching a width of 5 cm and a length of 60 cm. It blooms with red flowers, which are about 15 cm in diameter.
The type of cactus bearing the name of Cooper has arcuate long, downward-sloping stems, the diameter of which is about 10 cm. The inflorescences are large, white.
Varietal forms of epiphyllum are hybrids bred artificially by crossing representatives of different species with each other.
Among the varieties popular in home gardening are the following:
“Just Prue”.
“Sabra”.
“King Midas”.
“Jennifer Ann”.
“Wendy May”.
“Martina”.
‘Just Prue’ was bred by workers at a cactus nursery called ‘Holligate’. It blooms in spring, the flowers reach a diameter of about 16 cm, painted in a white-pink hue.
“Sabra” is valued by gardeners for its abundant flowering. Flowers are large and pink.
“King Midas” is characterized by love of light. It blooms in large inflorescences, painted in peach color.
Epiphyllum of this variety, like “Jennifer Ann” , is famous for its large flowers – 20 cm in diameter, having a yellow-white color.
“Wendy Mae” has unusual bright crimson flowers: there are long pointed petals along the edges, and rounded ones inside.
‘Martina’ has drooping stems that appear at first glance to be divided into small oval-shaped segments. The inflorescences are elongated, the petals are red, and the center is yellow. They smell intense and very strong.
How to care for spathiphyllum at home
Epiphyllum needs a bright, sunny window sill, preferably a western or eastern one, since the light should not be direct, but diffused. Gradually accustom him to direct sunlight. The plant tolerates partial shade. In summer, it is recommended to take the pot with a flower into the air, but the possibility of direct sunlight on the leaves at noon should be prevented.
In winter, during the dormant period, the optimum temperature of the content is 12-15 ° C. During the summer season, the comfortable temperature regime is 20-25 °С.
Humidity should be moderate. In summer, in extreme heat, a home flower – an epiphyllum cactus – can be sprayed daily, washed with leaves under running water, wiped with a damp cloth. Water for these procedures should be used separated, at room temperature.
During the growth period (April – September), the plant requires abundant and regular watering. The frequency of irrigation is determined by the degree of drying of the top layer of soil in the flowerpot. In winter, when kept cold, they are rarely watered, or even stop irrigation altogether. Resume watering should be in early spring, increase gradually.
Caring for an epiphyllum cactus at home provides for the need for top dressing. From March to August, the plant is fed with fertilizers for cacti or bromeliads. You need to make mixtures 2 times in 30 days, prepare them according to the instructions on the package. Also, during the period of bud formation, the plant needs to be fed with mullein diluted in water in a ratio of 1:4. When flowering ends, it is necessary to alternately apply organic fertilizers once every 14 days, and mineral nitrogen fertilizers once every 14 days. During winter sleep, the plant does not require top dressing.
Plants with drooping shoots need support and tying.
Proper pruning of the epiphyllum (with video)
Proper pruning of the epiphyllum is an important aspect of home care for the plant. It is necessary to cut off weak, damaged, strongly elongated shoots at the base due to improper care. In adult plants, old, cork-covered shoots that do not form buds should be removed. When starting to trim flat stems, you should remember: the color of the cactus is formed on those stems that have grown during the previous year. Those stems that have already faded once will not be able to give more color. But it is permissible to cut them off only after 3 years, since their presence is important in the life support process of phyllocactus. You need to cut off the buds that have faded. All cut zones must be treated with crushed coal.
How to properly trim the epiphyllum is shown in the video – watch it and get additional information on your questions:
How to propagate epiphyllum
In response to the question of how epiphyllum can be propagated, gardeners call the following methods:
- Seeds.
- Stem cuttings.
- The division of the bush.
If seeds are used for propagation, then it should be borne in mind that seedlings appear in the form of small real – prickly – cacti, which have faceted stems and densely spaced needles. Only as they grow older, the stems become flat, leaf-shaped, and the spines crumble. The substrate for planting and transplanting is a ready-made mixture for cacti. The soil temperature should be from 20 to 25 ° C, the soil should be moistened before planting. It is necessary to deepen the planting material by 5 mm. After that, the container must be covered with glass, not forgetting to carry out daily ventilation and spraying with a spray bottle. If you follow the above recommendations on how to care for the planted epiphyllum seeds at home, they will germinate after 14-21 days. Then the glass can be completely removed. When the height of the sprouts will vary in the range of 3-5 cm, you can transplant them into separate flowerpots. Cacti grown in this way will give the first color approximately in the 4th or 5th year.
Propagation of epiphyllum by division and cuttings: how to root a plant
If the bush has grown strongly, it can be divided into parts. It is recommended to use this method of reproduction after flowering – at the end of summer. It is necessary to remove the plant from the flowerpot, free it from the soil, remove dried or rotten zones from the root system. After that, the bush must be divided so that each of the resulting divisions has its own roots. After processing the places of cuts with crushed coal, they must be planted in separate flowerpots.
Propagation of the epiphyllum cactus by cuttings is carried out in the second half of spring. From an adult plant, the top of the shoot is cut at an angle by 10-12 cm in length. Cut matured cuttings are dried for 24-48 hours in the open air and rooted in a humid environment, not forgetting to add perlite to the substrate. It is not recommended to deepen the seedlings much, a sufficient depth is 1 cm. After the epiphyllum petioles can be rooted, the top layer of soil must be sprinkled with sand, cover the seedlings with a cap for 7-10 days, put in the shade and do not irrigate for the first 24 hours. If there is a threat of their collapse, it is better to immediately take care of the support.
Proper epiphyllum transplantation
An important part of flower care is the correct transplantation of the epiphyllum cactus. For plants under 5 years of age, this procedure should be carried out annually, accompanied by an increase in the size of the flowerpot. For adult specimens, transplantation is necessary as they grow. The optimal period for the procedure is the beginning of spring.
You should not choose too large a flowerpot, as this will lead to stagnation of water, and then to acidification of the soil and rotting of the root system. Drainage must be laid at the bottom. For this, pebbles, expanded clay, a foam sheet divided into pieces can serve.
The soil for transplanting an epiphyllum plant should include:
- Sod land (four parts).
- Leaf ground (four parts).
- River sand (one part).
- Fibrous peat (one part).
- Charcoal (one part).
The soil should be either neutral, or, in extreme cases, slightly acidic, not contain lime impurities.
Diseases and pests of the indoor flower epiphyllum
If there are deviations from the above recommendations for growing a plant, the epiphyllum may develop diseases:
- Rust on leaves.
- Fusarium rot.
- Anthracnose.
- Black rot.
- Various types of spots.
Signs of diseases are the slow growth of the flower, the formation of weeping spots on the surface of the leaves and stems, the appearance of a putrefactive odor. To save an indoor flower called epiphyllum, you need to trim the damaged areas, treat the cut points with charcoal, and transplant. If this does not help, you should resort to spraying with fungicides (for example, Fundazol, Hom, Topaz, etc.).
Another possible problem for cacti is the appearance of pests:
- Mealy bug.
- Aphids.
- Spider mite.
- Shchitovki.
- Slug (attacks if the plant is kept outdoors in the garden in summer).
Parasites lead to the depletion of the plant, cause a lag in growth and development, and carry various viral diseases. If there are few pests, so that the home cactus called epiphyllum recovers, you can wipe its ground parts with a cotton swab dipped in alcohol or soapy water. It is permissible to use a soft brush instead of cotton. If the damage is severe, systemic insecticides should be used – Mospilan, Aktellik, Fitoverm, etc. If one treatment does not help, then it is necessary to repeat the procedure after 7-14 days.
As a preventive measure, you should regularly inspect the flower for the presence of any pest or the slightest symptoms of the disease.
Why the epiphyllum does not bloom at home and how to make the cactus bloom
One of the common questions that gardeners face is why the epiphyllum does not bloom at all at home.
The main reasons for this problem are as follows:
- Lack of lighting.
- Excessive watering, especially in winter, during sleep at cool temperatures.
- Wintering in too warm room.
- Too much nitrogen in the soil.
To understand how to make your epiphyllum bloom, you need to find out the cause of the problem and eliminate the annoying factor, i.e.:
- Provide the required amount of sunlight.
- Let the plant rest during November – February at a temperature of 12 to 15 ºC.
- Temporarily stop applying nitrogen fertilizers.
If it is possible to place the “green pet” only on the northern windowsill so that it blooms in spring – summer, you need to place the flowerpot as close as possible to the window glass so that it can absorb sunlight. Flowers will appear, although not as densely as under normal lighting.
If proper care is provided, the epiphyllum will resume flowering in the coming season.