Read a commented leaf cactus profile here with information about growth, leaves, flowers and the six most beautiful species. Lots of planting and care tips for Epiphyllum leaf cacti as houseplants.
What characterizes a leaf cactus?
A leaf cactus is a tropical cactus plant with striking flowers, leaf-like, notched shoots and often epiphytic growth. Species such as the orchid cactus (Epiphyllum), Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) and Easter cactus (Hatiora) are well known. Care includes a constantly moist substrate, bright locations and cool rest periods.
Profile
- Scientific names: Epiphyllum, Schlumbergera and others
- Family: Cactaceae
- Origin: tropical rainforest
- Growth type: Cacti
- Growth habit: upright to hanging, shrubby
- Growth length: 60 cm to 200 cm
- Leaves: flattened, notched shoots
- Flowers: rich in shapes, voluminous
- Fruits: fleshy, berry-shaped
- Toxicity: non-toxic
- Winter hardiness: sensitive to frost
- Use: houseplant, hanging plant
Growth
Leaf cactus is the colloquial name for various cactus plants that delight with their furious blossoms. The exotic flower beauties are also known to cactus lovers all over the world as orchid cacti. In contrast to the vast majority of known cactus species, leaf cacti are native to the tropical rainforest and not to the bone-dry desert. Furthermore, leaf cacti are out of the ordinary in terms of exceptional growth with these characteristics:
- Growth forms: partly upright, partly climbing, spreading, hanging, often epiphytic (sedentary).
- Special features: mostly without sharp thorns; unusually large and expansive for cacti with a diameter of up to 200 cm.
- Sprouts: notched, flattened, leaf-like segments up to 30 cm long, sprout length up to 100 cm.
- Gardening interesting facts: magnificently flowering houseplants, very easy to care for, undemanding, tolerate cutting, non-toxic, easy to propagate, not hardy.
Video: Leaf cactus German Empress blooms
Leaf cactus species
Originally all leaf cacti were gathered in the genus Phyllocactus, which is no longer valid today. Modern botanical systematics takes it more precisely. Today, cacti with leaf-like sprouts are divided into separate genera and species. Of course, cactus lovers and specialist retailers give this aspect the cold shoulder. Rainforest cacti are still traded, exchanged and bred under the generic term leaf cactus. The following table presents the six most popular genera with their type species in more detail:
| Leaf cacti | Epiphyllum | Schlumbergera | Hatiora | Rhipsalis | Selenicereus | Disocactus |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Synonyms | Sawleaf Cactus | Christmas cactus | Easter cactus | Red cactus, rush cactus | Queen of the Night | Cobbler Cactus |
| Flower shape | funnel-shaped | tubular | bell-shaped | wheel-shaped | funnel to star-shaped | curved, funnel-like |
| Flowering time | night | November to January | Spring | Spring | night | July to September |
| Growth | partly upright, part hanging | shrubby, hanging | upright, later hanging | epiphytic, hanging | climbing, hanging, epiphytic | overhanging |
| Type type | Epiphyllum phyllanthus | Schlumbergera epiphylloides | Hatiora salicornioides | Rhipsalis salicornoides | Selenicereus grandiflorus | Disocactus biformis |
Leaf
Leaf cacti cannot serve with a foliage habit typical of houseplants. These features explain what the “leaves” are really about:
- Leaf shape: strongly flattened sprouts (botanically: platycladia) with notches between the segments.
- Leaf size: individual sprouts (apparent leaves) up to 30 cm long.
- Leaf edge: smooth, wavy, scalloped or distinctively jagged.
- Special feature: small, fine thorns or soft bristles at the base of the leaves.
Bloom
Round, felty areoles sit in the notches of the cactus sprouts, on the edges of the leaves or at the tips of the shoot sections. The magnificent flowers with these characteristics are formed on the elevations:
- Flower shapes: funnel-shaped, bell-shaped or tubular, more rarely circular to star-shaped.
- Flower size: diameter and length up to 30 cm.
- Flowering time: depending on the genus, species and variety, blooms several times during the day or at night if well cared for.
- Flower colors: white, cream to lemon yellow, red, pink to scarlet, dark red to violet.
- Flower properties: slightly to intensely scented.
- flower ecology: hermaphrodite
Pollinated leaf cactus flowers turn into fleshy, colorful berries about 5 centimeters in diameter. The kidney-shaped seeds it contains are light germinators.
Planting leaf cactus
You can buy a ready-to-plant leaf cactus from specialist retailers. Cactus lovers with a passion for collecting exchange cuttings of beautiful leaf cactus hybrids, because propagation can be achieved even by an inexperienced hand. Where and how to plant an orchid cactus correctly, read here:
Location and substrate
Selection of location and substrate quality require a rethink so that leaf cacti grow he althily and bloom magnificently:
- Growth phase: in a bright to partially shaded location without direct sunlight at normal room temperatures and high humidity.
- Ideally: from May to September/October on the west or east balcony.
- Rest phase: from November to April bright and cool at 12° to 15° Celsius.
- Exclusion criteria: cold below 10° Celsius, shade, blazing sun, dry air.
Do not use cactus soil as a substrate. Well-suited plant soil for leaf cacti is orchid soil, special epiphyte soil or a mixture of peat-free rhododendron soil and coconut soil as a peat substitute. By adding sand or lava granules, the substrate remains structurally stable and permeable over the long term.
Propagation
It's so easy to propagate a leaf cactus using cuttings:
- The best time is in spring.
- As a cutting, cut off a shoot 10 cm to 15 cm long or 2 shoot segments (pseudo leaves).
- Let the interface dry for a day.
- Fill the pot with the recommended substrate over a drainage made of lava granules.
- Place cuttings in small groups upright and half into the substrate.
- Keep constantly slightly moist in a partially shaded, warm location.
After rooting, care for the young leaf cacti like the mother plant. Once they reach a height of 20 centimeters, the shoots receive support or are tied up on a trellis, provided the cacti are not used as hanging basket plants.
Excursus
Easter cactus Christmas cactus difference
The two most popular leaf cacti are easy to distinguish by their leaves and flowers: Easter cactus leaves are cylindrical to elongated-oval with smooth or slightly wavy edges. Christmas cactus leaves are obovate with a distinctive jagged edge. An Easter cactus boasts star-shaped flowers in spring that close in the evening. On the Christmas cactus, flower tubes up to 7 cm long bloom day and night in winter.
Care for leaf cactus
Due to their tropical origins and epiphytic growth, leaf cacti require completely different care than desert cacti. Nevertheless, Epiphyllum and its relatives are easier to care for than most houseplants. The following care tips provide the details:
Pouring
- Keep the leaf cactus substrate constantly slightly moist, without waterlogging.
- Water abundantly when the cacti are blooming.
- Use collected rainwater or decalcified tap water as irrigation water.
- Spray green leaf tissue regularly with soft, room temperature water (do not spray flowers).
Fertilize
- Fertilize liquidly every two weeks from March to September.
- Caution: Cactus fertilizer is unsuitable.
- Choose to use special epiphyte fertilizer or commercial houseplant fertilizer at half concentration.
Cutting
- Cut leaf cactus only when necessary.
- Cut back excessively long or damaged sprouts with sharp, disinfected bypass scissors.
- Dust cuts with charcoal powder, cinnamon or rock dust.
- Clean out wilted flowers regularly.
Repotting
- Repot young plants annually, older plants every 2 to 3 years.
- The best time is in spring at the end of the rest break.
- Shake off or rinse off used substrate, clean drainage before reuse.
- When repotting, plant the leaf cactus just as deep as before.
Wintering
Leaf cacti are not hardy. A cool resting phase is crucial for bud formation. It makes sense to tidy up in good time or change the location in winter for year-round houseplants. How to properly overwinter a leaf cactus:
- Preparation: no longer fertilize from September onwards, water more sparingly without causing dryness of the bales.
- Put away leaf cactus from temperatures around 10° Celsius.
- Ideal winter location: bright and cool at 12° to 15° Celsius.
- Winter care: water little by little, spray regularly to protect against spider mites.
Extra tip: A Christmas cactus lays its flower buds when it stays outside for four weeks in the cool autumn until the temperatures fall below 10° Celsius. Then at normal room temperatures at Christmas time it shows off its red flowers.
Popular varieties
The variety selection of magnificent leaf cacti leaves nothing to be desired, as the following selection shows:
- Red Orchid Cactus: Disocactus ackermannii with large, red flowers and pink, edible fruits.
- German Empress: lush Epiphyllum varieties with pink-white flowers from spring to summer.
- Fangblatt: Epiphyllum anguliger with bizarre saw blade leaves on long tendrils, large fragrant flowers from May to August.
- Thor-Alex: magnificent Schlumbergera, beautiful yellow flowers with a light yellow center in the middle of winter.
- Beavertail: extravagant leaf cactus, whose leaves are reminiscent of beaver tails; Growth size 100 cm to 120 cm.
- Dwarf leaf cactus: Epiphyllum pumilum, white flowers several times, beautiful hanging plant for bedrooms.
FAQ
What are the cacti with red flowers called?
Leaf cacti are among the most beautiful cacti with red flowers. Prime examples are: Schuster cactus (Disocactus ackermannii) with up to 15 cm large, bright red flowers and Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) with fiery red flower tubes in winter. The Epiphyllum hybrids “Die Rote Pulheim”, “Samite” and “Bonnie Brae” make an impressive impression with their red flowers. Hatiora gaertneri has made a name for itself among cactus lovers as an Easter cactus with opulent, red starry flowers.
My leaf cactus isn't blooming. Why is that?
If a leaf cactus keeps the longed-for flowers under wraps, there are various reasons behind it. The most common reason is overwintering that is too warm. In order for leaf cacti to bloom, a longer period of rest is required in a bright, cool location at 12° to 15° Celsius. Furthermore, too wet substrate in the winter quarters prevents flower formation. Anyone who waters a leaf cactus with hard tap water will also look in vain for the picturesque flowers. Despite optimal care, it takes up to 5 years before a young leaf cactus propagated from cuttings decides to bloom for the first time.
When can I put a leaf cactus out on the balcony?
From mid-April you can put the leaf cactus on the balcony during the day in a partially shaded place. As long as temperatures can drop to freezing point at night, please put the cactus away again in the evening. After the ice saints in mid-May, your leaf cactus will move to its final summer location in partial shade.
Can you propagate leaf cacti by sowing?
Propagation by sowing is possible. However, the procedure is more complicated and time-consuming compared to the cuttings method. To prepare, soak the seeds in decalcified tap water at 50° Celsius for 45 minutes. Scatter the still moist light germinators on coconut fiber substrate in small cultivation pots (4x4 cm) or in peat soaking pots. In the heated indoor greenhouse in a partially shaded location, keep the substrate constantly slightly moist with soft water. At temperatures between 16° to 28° Celsius, the seedlings are 0.5 cm to 1 cm tall after 12 to 14 months and can be pricked out.
