Purp, my Epi is supposed to be oxypetalum, but after Googling, your leaves look more like oxypetalums.

Maybe there's different cultivars???

Foliage on my Epi differs from yours. Actually, your Epi resembles an Epi I bought at HD a few years ago..but its leaves are fuzzy..Are yours?

Also, Epi oxypetalums are called, Night Blooming Orchid Cactus..
My Epi blooms open at night..

Hmm, confusing.

Yeah, the tag is from EA and says [Epiphyllum oxypetalum "orchid cactus".] I can't find it on their site, just this one with curly leaves. I have several similar plants, but this one seemed different, so grabbed it. Hopefully it will make some flowers soon. Any time of day or night is OK.

These leaves are totally smooth.

I think EA has plants they don't know they have. lol

I like it's red edges..nice
Strange, because my fuzzy Epi has red edges, too. But you said leaves are smooth.
There's so many varieties, it's hard to tell one from another..except for ZigZag. Please don't ask to spell its botanical name. :)

Your Epi looks a little sunburned, but not terribly.

You asked if they're cared for like Thanksgiving Cactus..Pretty much so, except for flowering. TC's usually bloom from Oct on..Epi's, 'at least my Epi,' blooms in summer, occasionally budding around Feb..but buds usually drop or are small.

You'll know its type for sure when it blooms.

Epi's love rain. When we have heavy rainfall in summer, buds seem to form overnight.

My plant you ID'd earlier, 'starts with N' is potted w/my Epi.

Strange..when I opened this thread ealier, your other photos didn't show. Wonder why???

BTW, what's the purple-leaf plant in pic 1?

I always buy plants just after their expected bloom time, daggone it! O well, I liked the leaves, especially the red edges you noticed too, so I can wait. It is firming up a bit with some moisture in the soil again. I think you're right about EA! That's OK, we'll figure out what they are, as long as they keep selling interesting plants.

Pic 1, there's some Callisia repens and Gibasis geniculata sticking out from the basket next to the Epi. Those particular pieces don't look happy, may not be taking root. I haven't fertilized in a while and think the PH may be way too high in some of these pots, some chlorotic looking leaves. Home-made "soil" can be an adventure, and some batches are better than others.

But on the bright side, I'm seeing what has GOT to be buds on some TC's. They'll probably all fall off when I bring the plants inside, but nothing ventured, nothing gained, right?

Epiphyllum oxypetalum does have smooth leaves :) So It could very well be that. Eo usually throws out these long, pencil-thin branches and then will leaf out from that. yours looks like a series of younger cuttings to make a pot full. Be patient. it takes a few years to bloom, but it totally worth it!

Thanks, J. In the last pic, you can kind of see where the pot was started from cuttings. Cool!

If you find wild epi growth oddly pleasing, then you will like this! I find all the epiphytic cacti weirdly pleasing in form and whatnot, so I may not be the best judge lol.

Yes, that's what caught my eye, the unusual overall shape (and fact that it was about the only hanging basket I don't already have, that wasn't sunburned to death - poor Hoyas! I'd get one of each of about 8 different ones, but not looking like that for $11 each - they didn't have them long enough for people to buy them before they were crisped.)

I just hope I can leave this alone long enough to make some flowers before the urge to dismantle it and turn it into 50 separate plants gets too strong. I know how I am. Probably safe until spring at least, due to space issues...

Haha! Well, hopefully things work out! Luckily, you should be able to leave it out for the flowering period which is good. Prevents potential bud drop!

Purple...regarding your TC buds.

Did you bring them inside yet?

When you do, place them in the coolest room..
They probably won't drop, but warmth prompts buds to open much faster.

Very few times did my TC's open on Thanksgiving Day.

Purple,

Toni is right re: the TC buds. Also be sure to make sure you keep the light coming from the same direction. Several of the epiphytic cacti are sensitive to light and will try to move to face it-- including the flowers. Then they will drop :) So cool room, same light orientation is the best bet.

Purp,

And Julianna is right re: keeping light in the same direction....

It's said not to move a TC/CC/EC once buds form.

However, I still haven't figured a way to do this when they're brought indoors from outdoors. :)

Julianna, any suggestions???

PS: Don't keep out too long if temps are freezing.

Two TC's have frosted leaves..they're soft. Guess they'll have to be cut..no buds either..
Those left inside are budding..I don't get it.
In the past, I was never able to get TC's to bloom without summering outdoors until first/second frost.

Maybe age has something to do with it????

Toni,

No suggestions here other than what we gave! You have no idea how many times I had bud drop on Eo! Arrgghhh! LOL! But I was wondering, if you brought it in when the buds were just super teeny... maybe that would help...

Maybe the TC that were outside somehow either got more ambient light or were just budding more slowly. I had some I left out and brought in last Thursday. They are making very small buds now.

Julianna,

Bringing Epis in when buds are small might prevent them from falling.

I don't understand about buds being small???
Every so often in summer, TC's bud, but end up falling off.

But, they start out tiny...???

Are you in a warm or cold state?

Winter pounced on IL too fast..Early Oct, temp was in the 90's, then dropped down to 50 the following day. The entire week was chilly, then freezing. Cars were frosted when I woke.

In part it was my fault...lol

Perhaps we're thinking of bud drop at different stages. I've always had them drop when they were a day or two from opening because I had to move them in.

I don't know if this is a warm or cold state. Seems cold to me! I'm in AR. :)

Morning, or is it afternoon??? :)

Oh, AR...major climate differences.

I've never been to AR, but heard the weather is beautiful, except for July-Aug.

My brother was in NV...he loved the climate..temps were high, 101F, but he said it didn't feel as hot as IL at that temp.

Toni

I think we're probably on the same time zone :) So it was afternoon :)

AR-- depends on where you are. Here it's like a sauna sometimes, and other times not. Seems cold in the winter to me, especially with all the humidity of the Delta region where I am.

I'm from NV :) I liked the heat too, but not inside the car when you got in there and it burned!

Toni, I will (bring TC's and other plants inside) when it gets too cold. Still holding above 40 at night with the one frost scare last week. A couple of the TC's have such pretty purple leaves, I don't care if they make flowers or not. They're rockin' pretty!

J, I know what you mean about a hot car. I try not to go anywhere in the daytime here after morning if I know I'll have to park in the sun. I'll walk a pretty long way if there's a shady spot anywhere to be found. Until we got a carport, I parked my car under a tree in the back yard.

Yeah, every once in a while on the news at home, we would hear about someone with bad health or a senior who would get into their car and then die. :/ Couldn't leave anything on the dash for sure, or else it would melt. Lots of us had pot holders in the car so we could hold the steering wheel :)

Morning,

Julianna,
What do you consider cold? Anything under 80 is cold to me, but this time of year I'm happy if it's 60.

I've sat on hot seats, too. lol

Parking under a tree helps but then a car is filled w/bird poop.

Purp.

You don't see buds yet? Either your TC's aren't getting enough short day light or they may need one frost before setting blooms.
I wouldn't fertilize...Also, lettiing soil dry completely promotes buds.

Yes, red foliage is beautiful! I feel the same about most plants, but enjoy flowers for the holidays.

Toni

Toni,

Cold is anything under 55 :) I hate it here when it is in the teens at night or 20s for months, and then in the 30s during the day. And then with the humidity, it feels like your face is being frozen off in the wind. It's always a cold, wet wind!

Julianna

Cold = anything under 73. But for plants, when it starts going below 40 at night, it's time to bring them in. Been close, but hasn't happened yet.

Yes, looks like buds are forming on many of the tips. Just took these pics of some of them.

Cute little "I think I can" cutting:
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This one won't change colors (the foliage) but has some buds:
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This is really purple in person but look red in pics, I think you jinxed the pics, Toni! LOL J/K!:
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An example of how some just won't change foliage colors, I guess. They're in the same spot, in the same pot. Also more purple in person:
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This strange little cutting keeps making smaller and smaller leaves. It's the only one like it, many cuttings around in various places, though in the pic above, you can see the 'purple' plant just has smaller foliage. This cutting probably came from that plant, though I don't remember for sure by now.:
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Love them!

Thanks, me too!