Collection of Epiphyllum Grows

 Sorry (Not Sorry ;)

Taylor Greenhouse of NY sells rooted cuttings in 2.5 inch pots for about the same as single cuttings from most internet sellers. The first two plants I ordered from there were nice enough that when one I really wanted came back in stock I ordered 5 more. The current list with descriptions from the internet... for what they're worth.

Epiphyllum Hybrids

Agatha  Has a Large bloom with light rose-pink and a red throat, rounded petals, bell form, flat sturdy growth can be adapted to basket growth but upright at first when young, good bloomer. Reg.#5591

Bold Venture  Has an extra large bloom bright orange, wide purple edge. Opens wide. Full cup form. Hybridized by FOB. Reg.#05644

Pegasus  Has a Extra Large bloom with purple and a red-orange mid-stripe, outer petals edged with bronzy violet. Medium to wide flat basket growth, somewhat upright growth on first year stems. Fast grower depending on conditions. Great bloomer! Reg.#5719

Vista Sun  Has very large yellow flowers on an easy to grow plant. It is best grown dry and cool in the winter. This is a beautiful plant and our most popular yellow.

Over the Top  A 1998 hybrid.  It has a large flower.  The inner petals are white at the base shading to cerise  with red mid-stripe near the tip.  The next row is cerise with orange overlay and white base.  The outer petals are bright orange with carmine edges. It has an overlapping funnelform with radiating outer petals. It has thick flat and triangular growth. 

Just Beautiful 6" deep orange, star-like blooms remain open for 2-3 days. An easily grown cactus-like plant with 1.5" wide, flat, scalloped branches to 8'. Great in hanging baskets. Hybrid Orchid Cactus typically open at night but often last well through the next day. Epiphyllums are one of the few true jungle Cacti where they are often found growing with the orchids and bromeliads far removed from the forest floor. If pollinated the flowers can mature into deliciously edible fruit.

Three Oranges Has large orange and coral flowers on an easy to grow plant. It flowers in the spring in the greenhouses, and intermittently outside in the summer. 

Selenicereus anthonyanus (also known as Cryptocereus anthonyanus) is native to southern Mexico. It is grown as an ornamental because of its nocturnal flowers and unusual, leaf-like stems. Common names include fishbone cactus, rick rack cactus, zig-zag cactus and St. Anthony's rik-rak, and is sometimes referred to as an orchid cactus. There are a few variants of this species so some blooms can be slightly different one variant to another.

Epiphyllum Anguligar*  Disocactus anguliger (syn. Epiphyllum anguliger), commonly known as the fishbone cactus or zig zag cactus, is native to Mexico. The species is commonly grown as an ornamental for its fragrant flowers in the fall.

Epiphyllum strictum. Epiphyllum hookeri  Climbing cactus with blunt-toothed stems producing a mass of long, flat foliage. Each leaf can grow to varying lengths. Mature plants produce big, fragrant white flowers in summer. The white flowers can grow up to 9 inches long and 8 eight inches wide. The flowers open up only during the night and close when morning comes. 

Epiphyllum King's Ransom Registration #9747. Hybridized by Phyllis Flechsig. It’s a cross of Pistachio X Reward. An extra large bloomer. Outer petals are dark brown with yellow-orange mid-stripe pointed narrow petals. Inner petals are solid yellow. 

Epiphyllum. A (tiny) new obsession.

Plants okay with a little neglect?

It's probably a good idea while I live out of a suitcase at mom's in order to keep her out of a nursing home.  My plants at home are not doing so well. Throwing water at them before rushing back has gotten a few by. Just. I'll deal with it later or start over. A few of the most precious found their way down here with me. For some it was too late. 

I'll be honest: I want to go home...

Christmas Cactus have been grown and passed around the family for as long as I can remember. Mom has one from her mother that's big enough to need 2 people to carry it outside for the summer. It should be repotted. I'm a little terrified of touching it.

The ones that bloom for Thanksgiving I always assumed were just over achievers. Turns out "holiday cactus" is a theme. My brother gave me an Easter Cactus for my birthday a couple years ago. I about killed it deciding I needed to repot it immediately. (I probably didn't!) 

It has recovered, if not yet ever bloomed again. I'm hopeful. Even if Easter has long since passed.

I've bought a few cuttings of Epiphyllum to take root. They can live in the greenhouse once it warms enough. For now I'll watch them from mom's.

Epiphyllum Hybrid:

"AGATHA" Has a Large bloom with light rose-pink and a red throat, rounded petals, bell form, flat sturdy growth can be adapted to basket growth but upright at first when young, good bloomer. Reg.#5591

"BOLD VENTURE" Has an extra large bloom bright orange, wide purple edge. Opens wide. Full cup form. Hybridized by FOB. Reg.#05644

"PEGASUS"  Has a Extra Large bloom with purple and a red-orange mid-stripe, outer petals edged with bronzy violet. Medium to wide flat basket growth, somewhat upright growth on first year stems. Fast grower depending on conditions. Great bloomer! Reg.#5719

Species: 

SELENICEREUS ANTHONYANUS - Also commonly called (Ric Rac Cactus) or (Fishbone Orchid Cactus) Very unusual with fishbone like leaves, and very easy to grow! Same care as Epis. The growth is flat but deeply lobed and deep green. The large spectacular blooms have inner petals that are soft creamy-yellow and the outer petals are deep maroon, radiating and narrow. The contrast is stunning, and very fragrant too! The blooms are nocturnal and start to open about dusk in late spring/summer. Frost sensitive and will freeze, but makes for a wonderful house plant too in a hanging basket. There are a few variants of this species so some blooms can be slightly different one variant to another.

UPDATE: It's been a few weeks since I started this post. My mom left us in the early hours of Mother's Day. I take comfort in knowing a promise was kept, no matter how impossible it seemed some days (and nights). She stayed at home. My sister Nola was killed by a reckless 19 yo driver in 1983. My mom lived with a broken heart until it finally gave out. Nola's voice told me she was ready to wrap her arms around our precious mama once more. It was her turn to care for her. I picked up heart shaped rocks by the bucketful this last year. 

Go ahead.  Arrange and rearrange the stones on your beloved's grave.

Keep arranging those stones for as long as it hurts to do it, then stop, just before you really want to.

Put the last stone on and walk away. Then light your candles for the living.

Say your prayers for the living. Give your flowers to the living. 

Leave the stones where they are, but take your heart with you. 

Your heart is not a stone. 

From the book Here If You Need Me a true story by Kate Braestrup

Yesterday was my birthday. My Easter Cactus is covered in buds. 

It's 2 a.m.  I'm back at dad's house. He's fallen twice this week and is unable to get himself up. Not sure where things go from here.  I'm going to put a DVD in an fall asleep to The Martian. Or maybe Fly Away Home.