Epiphyllum is the botanical name for the leaf cactus, which comes in numerous species. Most varieties are extremely easy to care for and are therefore ideal plants for beginners. Due to their wide variety of flower colors and growth habits, they are very popular as houseplants.
Which Epiphyllum species are suitable as houseplants?
Epiphyllum species, also known as leaf cactus, are easy-care houseplants with different flower colors. Popular species include the Christmas cactus and the Easter cactus. They prefer wetter conditions than other cacti and are well suited as hanging plants to display their hanging growth habit.
What you need to know about Epiphyllum species
- Native to the rainforests of South and Central America
- not hardy
- very easy to care for
- only blooms after five years
- needs a break in winter
The most famous types of leaf cactus are the Christmas cactus and the Easter cactus.
Various flower colors of the different Epiphyllum species
The leaf cactus is characterized by the fact that it produces very different flower colors depending on the variety. Epiphyllum anguliger, for example, bears 15 to 18 cm long flowers whose outer bracts are lemon yellow and the inner leaves are pure white. Epiphyllum oxypetalum, on the other hand, develops smaller, pointed flowers with reddish outer leaves.
Most species have a hanging growth habit and are therefore often grown as hanging plants. In addition to the structured leaves, they have strongly flattened sprouts.
In contrast to other cactus species, the Epiphyllum has no or only very weak spines.
Epiphyllum mostly sold as a hybrid
Epiphyllum grows in nature as an epiphyte, i.e. on other plant species. The species that are offered commercially are mostly hybrids, which are much more robust and can cope better with indoor conditions.
All types of Epiphyllum are easy to care for
Caring for the leaf cactus is different from other species in the large cactus family. In contrast to these, it needs more moisture and also likes small doses of fertilizer occasionally.
In winter the Epiphyllum needs to be kept a little cooler because without a break it produces few or no flowers.
It is important that you never use cactus soil as a substrate and do not supply the epiphyllum with special cactus fertilizer. Potting soil mixed with sand or gravel is suitable as soil. For fertilizing, there is leaf cactus fertilizer (€9.00 on Amazon) or fertilizer for green plants that contain little nitrogen.
Tip
Epiphyllum not only has very decorative, but usually also fragrant flowers. The white-flowering species of Epiphyllum have the strongest scent. The flowering period of most varieties lasts from spring to summer.
