Little stars or Christmas lights ...

21 comments

Since many members think the flowers on my epiphytic cactus look Christmassy I thought I’d write a blog about it …

It is called Rhipsalis pilocarpa and it is native to tropical forests in the southern states of Brazil, where it grows on the branches of trees.
It is very pendulous (see photo below) and I have to put a stone on the pot to stop it from falling over.

In the summer I put it in a hanging basket and it is quite happy in a shady perspex shelter, but in October I bring it indoors and put it on a shelf where it always flowers in December and January.

The stems are jointed and covered in fluffy white hairs, and the flowers look like little stars …

After the flowers fade some bright red friuts are formed, like berries.
Here is an old photo which I have shown a few years ago :-

This year’s berries have not formed yet. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don’t.

Rhipsalis pilocarpa is an endangered species in the wild, due to deforestation causing it to lose it’s habitat, such a shame :(
but it is widely grown as an ornamental plant in cultivation.

I have several different species of epiphytic forest cacti and here’s a photo of some of them in their winter home on a shelf in the kitchen, R. pilocarpa as you can see is on the left …

I have more than this, they are dotted around the house for the winter, and they are fascinating plants to grow :)

7 Dec, 2021
7 likes

Comments

Hywel

Thank you, they last a few weeks ...

7 Dec, 2021

Balcony

Thanks for the info on this plant, Hywel! 👍 I quite like it & I think it might be a talking point for visitors when they visit people's homes where this plant is growing!

7 Dec, 2021

Feverfew

Love the little starry flowers. Ty for this informative blog.
Shame that we are losing so many plants in the wild. Perhaps one day in the far distant future we will load the ones we gave saved into a space ship & take them with us to another planet, in cell form of course, ( another ark).

7 Dec, 2021

Rose1949

Thank you for the info Hywel. It was very interesting.
You must be very dedicated to all your plants as they are all very healthy and is a good hobby for you!

8 Dec, 2021

Hywel

Thanks for all your comments,

Rose I have been told that I am plant mad :D I love them ...

When we've destroyed this planet we can go and destroy another one Feverfew :D

They are very interesting Balcony, do you want one ? I've got some rooted cuttings.

8 Dec, 2021

Seaburngirl

What a lovely blog . As you may remember daughter Victoria did her dissertation on sea anemones and they remind me/her of the typical 'polyps' of corals & sea anemones.

8 Dec, 2021

Hywel

Thank you Eileen, yes they also remind me of coral polyps.

8 Dec, 2021

Wildrose

Thank for telling us more Hywel. It is the prettiest of plants and those look-alike Christmas lights are perfect for this time of year. The close up photos of them are lovely. You do look after your many plants so very well.

8 Dec, 2021

Hywel

Thank you, I enjoy looking after them :)

8 Dec, 2021

Siris

Looks so festive. Do they have spines? All my prickly cacti attack me.

8 Dec, 2021

Hywel

Thank you ... As I always say roses and pyracantha are worse than cacti,
and this one only has white hairs.

8 Dec, 2021

Hywel

Thank you

9 Dec, 2021

Balcony

Thank you, Hywel, I'd love a cutting! 👍 I'm PM you later.

9 Dec, 2021

Steragram

Its a little beauty Hywel. Please show us another shot if it gets lots of red berries?
Was is a rhipsalidopsis or perhaps a Ripsalis, that you lost some yeảrs ago and couldn't find a replacement? Do you remember? I recall writing to the Cactus and Succulent Society for you to see if anybody had one but no luck.

11 Dec, 2021

Hywel

I think it was Aporocactus flagelliformis Sue. I had some cuttings eventually on ebay and they are growing slowly ... I am pleased about that :)

12 Dec, 2021

Steragram

Excellent - you must have been very pleased to find some at last! I didn't remember the name, just the general shape of the plant.

13 Dec, 2021

Balcony

PM on its way to you, Hywel!

14 Dec, 2021

Hywel

Thank you Paul, you have some nice cacti too :)