Hi Teen,

Since you're no longer new here, you need to pls. start doing some of these searches for yourself.

Since you have the botanical name try the following search:

'Rhipsalis/Hatiora, care of'

which will answer the questions you listed. An Image Search by plant name should yield pix, maybe some w/ blooms.

I'll start you off by sharing that these are tropical cacti, I believe native to jungles of Central & South America.

Important question: will you be growing this indoors or outdoors?

So teen, Rhipsalis/Hatiora are at Lowes...now?
woohoo, I need to get out more.

As some have found out not everything is the same
in the care of plants, whether indoors or out.

Even though I did do a search, 'Rhipsalis/Hatiora, care of'.
I asked and received help from someone here with
the care of my Rhips when my plants were not doing
well last year and now they're growing wild!

I hope this site continues to be a place where folks can ask
questions without being chastised when answers are given
quickly and freely to others.
I see why so many don't return.

I don't believe I did any chastizing, if you're referring to me.

This young person is extremely interested & pretty involved in plants (certainly knows enough to start doing so). If you look at their Member Page, you'll see what I mean. It stands to reason it's time they did some of their own searches.

If folks come back & say after doing a search of their own they did 't find 'Z' out or wish more info. about "Y", I'd certainly provide additional help.

There's more to this story than I'm saying here, but since I didn't chastise them & made a point of being polite yet informative, I don't believe I owe more of an explanation.

Hello Teengardener -

I used to grow quite a few different Rhipsalis and (/or) Hatiora, and have found that different types have different light and temperature tolerances. What one did you see? Can you describe it if you don't have the name?

At the moment, I only grow what used to be called Hatiora salicornioides. It's a very tolerant plant. It's currently about 4' from a south window, but behind a few other plants. It does get direct sun, but not for the whole day (and I live in MA, where the sunlight's pretty weak in winter, sigh). I usually put it outside in the shade in the warm months, but it does okay when left inside, too, in the same window--because it's a S window, it doesn't get much direct sun in the summer. The plant makes little yellow flowers, primarily in fall but also in spring. Mine is budded, currently.

I grow and fertilize it like its relatives, the holiday cactus. They are epiphytes, and, for me, do best in a loose/chunky mix that drains freely and doesn't ever get totally dry (but is never soggy).

They all bloom, mostly in shades of white, yellow, pinkish white or greenish white. The flowers are significantly smaller than the flowers of most other jungle cacti but have a delicate beauty. Many rhipsalis also form decorative berries that stay on the plant for months.

In my experience, they're fun and easy plants.

Amanda

Rude ? Well maybe not but it reads as if someone has Hatiora growing resentments.

No longer are Hatiora something to believe.... Fact is .... They are jungle cacti.
Even though "The most interesting man in the world" has yet to be seen growing one of them shouldn't be reason for it's sometimes negative comments or questioning the question from another.

Basic unbiased truths for Hatiora

How much light.. During winter you'll want southern exposure indoors if out side during spring /summer indirect sun that's bright.... Inside the mids of the lilacs as some may suggest
How much water........... Or how little and how often you may have to spend some time getting use to the watering they require... Don't worry they will responded if over watered or if under watered. If to show shedding or wilting the volume of water may be the factor

How much fertillizer?When I typically use both Osmocote 19-6-16 for long lasting feeding and foliage pro 9-3-6 for it's peek growing time to budding for flowers

Do they flower. please show me photo. Yes all the Hatiora do flower but not all of the flowers on all the Hatiora will look the same.. The link provided above will have some to look at.

This post was edited by mrlike2u on Mon, Feb 25, 13 at 21:18

asarumgreenpanda, do you still have Hatiora?

Hello! Unfortunately, I lost mine (life events, a mealy bug takeover...). Funny thing is, I saw a small one in a nursery yesterday and thought about buying it as a replacement. It was in a decorative container and therefore waaaaay over-priced, so I passed -- but it reminded me of how much I like these plants. Your question is timely :)

I have kind-of a thing for epiphytic cacti and succulents -- rhipsalis, schlumbergera, hoya, some of the gesneriads, philos, and, also at that nursery yesterday, I saw *the coolest* epiphytic peperomia. (Why did I not buy that peperomia?! I may have to go back.) I actually lost all of the rhipsalis and quite a few of the others, but, hey, there's joy in rebuilding, and in rediscovering old favorites.

How about you, sans2014 -- do you grow these plants?

Amanda

I've had a Rhipaslis salicornioides for long enough that I can't remember where it came from. I was in Walmart looking to see If I could find the ID of my mystery cutting, It was sold out so it is still a mystery, but they had one Hatiora on the self

and it came home with me. Poor thing did not like the jostling about it took along the way and dropped a bunch of branches, so I'm trying to root them.

The plant is fine though and happily adjusting to its new home. Somewhere along the way I picked up the name Bottle cactus or perhaps coke bottle cactus.

That is what I've always called it. My new one is a nice dark forest green. My

original one is a pale yellow green which is most likely the "olive green" that the books talk about. It is a nice plant and much friendlier than a pencil cactus!

Fred

Friendlier than pencil cactus. I'll have to see how things go with my pencil cactus. Or maybe not and just see first hand, an experiment of sorts....for science!

laticauda there is no dangerous white sap from these as they are not euphorbias. very easy plant that flowers most every winter (late winter if I recall) with nice yellow flowers. so, please do "experiment"!

"how things go with my pencil cactus", is it giving you trouble?