I have just started growing Epiphyllums.

Would like to meet other growers and chat about this plant.
Greetings from beautiful Buderim!

hi Marleneann,

i'll start this off for you even though my knowledge of these plants is really very limited.
Epiphyllums i like but sad to say i do not have very many.

off the top off my head i have:

E. anguliger - small white and yellow fl.
E.ackermannii - red fl, pictured below
E. crenatum (i think) - big white fl.
E. oxygona (the best!!) - pure white, highly scented, only lasts one night, shrivelled by following morning.
E. phyllanthoides - pink fl
E. massive orange fl hybrid (pictured below)
unknown red (pictured below)
unknown white
unknown yellow

I want Epiphyllum chrysocardium.
its like a giant Epi anguliger.
and really amazing.
another cool one i've seen is cv. 'Clown'.

Epis are great plants
The flowers are just incredible
and the fruit taste good too.
Selenicereus are also well worth growing.
and try hylocereus also
and Disocactus
Rhipsalis too. flowers are small but they bear hundreds of them at once.
all these epiphytes enjoy the same sort of conditions.

Not to get this too far OT,
Epis can, despite their apparently different preferred growing conditions,
even be used as grafting stocks for small choice desert cacti species.
i remember seeing an excellent Loph graft onto an epi on the internet.
sure they are not commonly used
but i still think they have potential for this purpose.
particularly in highly humid areas
even if they are not as good as the more common Hylocereus and Selenicereus SP
also i've been thinking about Rhipsalis as stocks;
i think HN was talking about this at one point?

here are some pics i dug up from last season for your enjoyment.
(its too early here for blooms now).

unknown red:


Epiphyllum ackermannii


E. massive orange fl hybrid:

sorry i do not have hybrid names for them. they were purchased unlabelled.

Pure species Epiphyllum can be hard to get, possibly due in the extensive hybrdisation with the literally hundreds (thousands?) of hybrid cultivars.

i don't grow many because they need higher humidity, shade and more water & ferts than most of the desert cacti which i grow. plus they take up room. so i don't grow them in greenhouse. they grow well under cover in hanging baskets.
actually i think my main limiting factor is that they just aren't cactus enough ( ). almost spineless and too lush lol.
oh and the very limited flowering season and the plants are not (imo) exceptionally attractive when not in bloom.

i think gilligan here also grows a few epis, and from memory did some hybridising too(sic).

Thank you Lewis for posting the pictures.
I have just purchased a cutting of Ackermanni.

I took this picture yesterday of the first flowers of a rooted cutting I received in August. It is German Empress.

I will try posting a picture

Epiphyllum cuttings

looks fine to me (the photos you posted)

and anyone else, even if you only have a few epis; post some pics pls.

I still have.
I lost several hanging baskets of Epi's before i "vermin" proofed the yard.
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Epiphyllum strictum/hookeri
Epiphyllum "belle de noir"
Epiphyllum german empress
Epiphyllum "campfire red"
& several unamed Epi's mostly pinks & apricots.
+ i've just planted some wild collected seed, fingers crossed.
Cryptocereus anthonyanus
and a few Rhipsalis spp

I agree E chrysocardium is to die for

Hi Shortly
I have the ones you listed too.
Except "belle de noir"
Do you have a picture of it?

I also have one Rhipsalis and that is the species houlletiana.
What species Rhipsalis do you have?

I have Rhipsalis pilocarpa, R. cereuscula, R. baccifera, R. houlletiana.

Epi "belle de noir" is a large double white, 20cm + if you keep to a single bud. & is very fragrent. sorry i dont think we have any pics any more, didnt back them up did i.

if anyone can get hold of Epi chrysocardium i'd be very interested
it's awesome; Fern x cactus!

Epiphyllum anguliger and Cryptocereus anthonyanus appear to be very similar.

Rhipsalis i have only three;
R.gonacarpa
R. baccifera
R.teres.

Rhipsalis baccifera is the only cactus found outside the Americas, being native to Madagascar.
Rhipsalis houlletiana i've also seen before... doesn't even look succulent.
r. paradoxa- chain cactus also has a nice form.

i used to have Hatiora salicornioides also, but it sadly passed on.
shame, it has nice yellowish orange flowers and is uncommon.
edit: actually now i look at it its now immortalised because you can sort of make it out in the background of the
'E. massive orange fl hybrid:' photo i posted.

Another unusual epiphyte is Wittia / Disocactus amazonicus.
pink and BLUE flowering cactus! the only one.
incredible. i have not seen this one in person.

Lewis I can send you a plant of Rhipsalis houlletiana. My gift to you. Just PM me your postal address.

That Disocactus amazonicus is very unusual...I want one!

wowbeautiful

Disocactus amazonicus is an amazing thing, i've seen it in a botanic garden but wasnt in flower at the time.
I've bought 3 lots of seed from 2 different ppl now & still no joy, 4th time lucky.

For me Cryptocereus anthonyanus has the most stunning flower of all the tropical epiphytes, even if it does only last 2 nights.
Only thing is it is self sterile & I only have 1 clone so I never get fruit to set.
Has any one tried crossing it with an Epi ?

RE: Disocactus amazonicus:
check this out
(scroll down page).

Certainly a remarkable species.