Epiphyllum anguliger (also known as Disocactus anguliger, Ric-Rac cactus, Zig Zag cactus or Fishbone cactus) is a lovely succulent that a lot of people grow both for the interesting foliage and the spectacular large, very fragrant flowers. As with a few other Epiphyllums, the flowers only bloom at night but their scent is unmistakable.
The plant produces rather long stems that very much look like the fronds of the fishbone fern. The flowers can reach a size of 8 inches in length and 3 inches in width. They are generally white or pale yellow.
This Epiphyllum also produces edible fruit that tastes like gooseberries and has the texture of kiwi fruit. The fruits are green or brown, around 1 inch thick, and oval-shaped.
If you want to grow this delightful succulent, here are some things you need to know.
How to Plant and Grow Epiphyllum anguliger
The one thing to remember when growing this succulent is that it’s a tropical plant even though it belongs to the cactus family. Therefore, it prefers to grow in part shade and really benefits from some added humidity.
How to Propagate Epiphyllum anguliger
Like most Epiphyllums, this variety is easy to propagate from stem cuttings. This allows you to create additional plants for your own use and to give them away to family and friends.
Here’s what you need to do:
- Take some five to 6-inch long stem cuttings from the plant. This is also a great way to ensure your plant maintains a nice shape.
- Leave these cuttings on a piece of paper towel in a cool, dry spot for a day or two.
- Once the ends of the cut stems have callused, they’re ready to pop into some potting mix. You need to use a potting mix rather than a seed-raising mix.
- Water the soil well and remember to keep it moist at all times.
- You should start to see roots form in about 2 to 3 weeks.
- These new plants should flower within 2 years.
Care and Maintenance
The most important thing to remember when caring for your Ric Rac cactus is that it doesn’t like to dry out. The potting soil should be kept moist at all times. Here are some orchid cactus care tips to follow:
Soil
The Zig Zag Cactus likes nice, moist soil to grow in. Ideally, you should grow this plant in a hanging pot or basket. You can use a commercially available potting mix but make sure that it’s a good quality one.
Alternatively, you can make your own mix using the following recipe:
- 1 part coarse builder’s sand
- 1 part perlite
- 3 parts quality compost or coconut fiber
Water
Epiphyllum anguliger likes plenty of water. Therefore, you should ensure that you keep the soil nice and moist, especially in spring and summer. During these warmer months, you should water at least once a week.
After the plant has finished flowering, you can cut the watering back to about once every 2 or 3 weeks. This should stop the potting mix from drying out completely.
Fertilizer
It’s a good idea to give your plant a feed once you see the flower buds starting to form. Use an organic fertilizer that is suitable for fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes. Once the flowers are fully open, you can cease adding any additional fertilizer.
Sunlight
Epiphyllum anguliger prefers to be grown in a shady spot, especially in summer. Being a tropical plant, this Epiphyllum primarily grows in rainforest areas out of direct sunlight.
If you’re growing this plant in a hanging pot, then it’s best to place it either indoors near a south-facing window or under the cover of a deck or balcony outdoors. Filtered light is ideal for this Epiphyllum variety.
Temperature and Humidity
The Ric Rac cactus likes warm temperatures with high humidity. The ideal temperature range is between 61 to 77 degrees Fahrenheit. It also doesn’t tolerate temperatures below 50 degrees Fahrenheit.
It’s a good idea to mist your plant daily in warm weather to increase the humidity. Like all tropical plants, this Epiphyllum thrives when the moisture in the air is high.
Pruning
Although not necessary, you can prune your Fishbone cactus if it starts to look a little unruly. As a bonus, you can use the stem bits that you cut off to propagate new plants if you wish.
Another benefit to pruning off long stems is that it will make your plant a little bushier as well.
Pest and diseases
As this Epiphyllum likes to live in moist soil, it can be prone to fungal diseases such as root rot or black rot. This fungal disease thrives in damp soil and will attack the roots of the plant causing them to rot. To avoid your plant succumbing to this disease, it’s important to get the watering just right and to ensure that the soil is free-draining.
If you grow a lot of houseplants, your Fishbone cactus could also get infected with pests such as scale, aphids, spider mites, and mealybugs. Treat these with insecticidal soap and then rinse the pests off once they’re dead.
Conclusion
Epiphyllum anguliger is a fun plant to grow both for its interesting foliage and the super sweet fragrant flowers that it produces. It requires little maintenance except for regular watering and grows quite fast too.
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Reference list:
https://garden.org/plants/view/155439/Ric-Rac-Cactus-Epiphyllum-anguliger/
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