I used to have a collection of this species but not any more, I gave them a rest period in the Winter and they always flowered for Mothers Day, I think May is their month to flower. Call any nersery that specializes in the species and ask. Norma

I let my Oxy rest all winter,they will do some growing in the winter so don't worry about it,I give them very little water, come Feb I start to water and feed them very little at first then as the start to grow more I water and feed every other week or when they are dry about 2 inches down, stick your finger in the soil to test to see how dry it is, by the end of April there out in the shade house,by the end of may it sets buds and will bloom off and on until the end of July, most of the blooms come from old wood but some buds will set off new growth, there no magic to it, these plants have a mind of there own i think, I had one set bud in Dec but never bloomed

Bear

Mine generally flower in August or September, when they do bloom. But everything in my back yard is always a few weeks to months behind other plants in my neighborhood. For example, my Rhododendron has just finished blooming; it has never flowered in the Spring. My backyard is its own micro-climate, I guess. Maybe that contributes to why the epis don't flower regularly or often.

Thanks for your suggestions, Bear and Norma!

Elsie

Elsie, want to talk about a plant that's out of wack, that should only bloom at night,one of my oxy bloomed in the early morning 2 years ago and stayed open until the sun came out and then blooms died, now the poor thing won't bloom for me any more, but all my other still give me a show

Bear

{{gwi:494476}}

My oxipetalum gets near frozen every winter in my wood shed and then I put it out on my porch after freezing nights have MOSTLY passed. I am known to wheel it under the roof and pray on an occasional night. I live in Texas so this is much earlier in the year than Kentucky. It has grown into a MONSTER and it blooms at least 5 times in a summer. (LONGER SUMMERS here). I feed it in spring and after every bloom flush. It is their reward. It sits under a tree and it is out in the 100 degree heat in the summer. I see 40 buds on it as we speak.

I heard that they bloom as a survival tactic and stress motivates them, Hearsay, what can you say. I also heard that an early spring natural light dark cycle sets them up for bloom. Both these things they get in my house,. I heard they do need to have a criticaL mass of plant to bloom, so age is a factor.cI heard they that high temperatures. OH well, that they will get here.

I am probably not the person to listen to since my growing conditions are different from yours. Here it was blooming long into the morning because of the thick over hanging cloud cover.

{{gwi:603959}}

Yes, flowers to produce seed, or drop stems to root. One way or the other they manage to survive. Norma

Gorgeous flowers, wantonamara. Your plant looks very healthy. I am so jealous! This is the first time I have had more than one bloom on the Epi oxypetalum.

My Epi anguligar is not a night bloomer and it usually has 30-40 flowers, though.

Elsie

I also think perhaps the flowering season depends on the location, moon, light, if the pot is full, it has been well cared for and perhaps it just may be seasonal for your location. Ask the nursery's where you live when to expect flowers, and ask the person where it was purchased. Call people who sell them, they will give advise. My neighors doesn't take care of hers at all and they flower and I don't believe there is a cut and positive response for you. You already said that yours don't do what the others do in your neighbor hood, go and check theirs out and see what is different. Snails love new growth so check that out as well, make sure they arn't doing the damage, and the grasshoppers darn them. But they usually make holes and don't scrape off the skin. It's a crap shoot as to what is causing the damage.
Sorry I can't be of more help. Norma