Unknown houseplant - Anyone recognize it?

[Helen Scarth]

I asked for and was given some cuttings from a plant at an antique mall a couple of years ago. The mother plant looked vaguely like an epiphyllum (orchid cactus) and I had hopes for some stunning flowers from this one. The cuttings are doing well and the plant is flourishing but no flowers as yet.

Pictures are at:

Can anyone tell me what it is so I can find out how to care for it and what kind of blooms, if any, to expect?

Circe in Canada

[Jim W]

Yes its are fairly common cactus.. They are trailers/climbers and may grow ariel roots in the right conditions.. The ones I grow here in the UK that look like that flower in early summer (here anyway) with large red or pink sticky flowers. We put them out in the summer where they do much better. In the winter they are kept dry and cool, and well ventilated, but most definatly frost FREE!..

I like to hang some in a basket under the trees in the summer, to replicate the 'forest' conditions that some of them grow in in the wild.. They do EXTREMLY healthily in these conditions..

Very easy to propagate.. take off a 'segment' dry for a few days then pot up in gritty mix.. In the Canary Isles hotels use a related species to cover walls, rather like we might use a vine;-)

Bascially they will do OK on neglect and abuse;-) Don;t over cosset or feed them much or they will grow to 'soft!'

See

& to see both them growing in my glasshouse and a canariy isles climbeing variety on a windowsil (look close for the thin white ariel roots..) and a flower in the conservatory (not very good pic.. I took it with a 'keyring' cam!-) // Jim