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Chain Cactus in the GardenTags plant encyclopedia

Rhipsalis paradoxa

 

Chain Cactus

Rhipsalis paradoxa is easy to identify due to its 3 angle chain like growths. This plant can grown very long and hang far out of the pots. It is a great looking epiphyte. The flowers are white, small and easy to grow. Foliage: This 3 angled like foliage Flowers: White. Rhipsalis is a genus of epiphytic cacti. They grow mostly pendent, few grow more or less upright or sprawling. They produce flowers that are small, usually about 1 cm in diameter, white or whitish in most species. Yellowish flowers occur in R. dissimilis and R. elliptica and R. hoelleri is the only Rhipsalis species with red flowers. The fruits are always berries, they are whitish or coloured pink, red or yellow. Water freely when in growth, but keep dryer in winter. Mist the leaves regularly with water to increase humidity and make sure the winter temperatures stay above 10°C. The plant is most often found indoors and may simply be mounted on a piece of bark like an orchid or potted in a good cactus mix.

Contributed by @teebone

 
plant Features
  • Chain Cactus likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Chain Cactus likes very little water

    Very little water

  • Chain Cactus is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Chain Cactus likes rich and free draining

    Rich and free draining

 
plant information

Common name

Chain Cactus

Latin name

Rhipsalis paradoxa

type

Epiphyte

family

Cactaceae

ph

5.0 - 7.0 Acid - Neutral

  • Light

    Chain Cactus likes partial shade

    Partial shade

  • Frost

    Chain Cactus is not frost hardy

    Not Frost hardy

  • Soil

    Chain Cactus likes rich and free draining

    Rich and free draining

  • Water

    Chain Cactus likes very little water

    Very little water

Plant & bloom calendar

  •  
    Best time to plant

full grown dimensions

The size of a fully grown Chain Cactus is 0.60meters x 2.00meters 0.60 M 2.00 M

Rhipsalis paradoxa

Rhipsalis paradoxa is easy to identify due to its 3 angle chain like growths. This plant can grown very long and hang far out of the pots. It is a great looking epiphyte. The flowers are white, small and easy to grow. Foliage: This 3 angled like foliage Flowers: White. Rhipsalis is a genus of epiphytic cacti. They grow mostly pendent, few grow more or less upright or sprawling. They produce flowers that are small, usually about 1 cm in diameter, white or whitish in most species. Yellowish flowers occur in R. dissimilis and R. elliptica and R. hoelleri is the only Rhipsalis species with red flowers. The fruits are always berries, they are whitish or coloured pink, red or yellow. Water freely when in growth, but keep dryer in winter. Mist the leaves regularly with water to increase humidity and make sure the winter temperatures stay above 10°C. The plant is most often found indoors and may simply be mounted on a piece of bark like an orchid or potted in a good cactus mix.


Planting

From Early Spring TO Mid Spring

Mistletoe cacti are easy to grow from cuttings. Take the cuttings and let the severed end callus for a few days. Plant the callused end in a cactus mix or sand that has been lightly moistened. Cuttings root in two to six weeks. Pot on young plants in an orchid or cactus mix and place in semi-shade and water when the surface of the soil is dry.

 

Propagation by cuttings

From Early Spring TO Late Autumn

The most common form of propagation for succulents is called vegetative propagation. This involves cuttings, where several inches of stem with leaves are cut, allowed some time to heal and after healing produce a callus. After a week or so, roots should grow. Another method is division which involves uprooting an overgrown clump and pulling the stems and roots apart. The easiest method is to allow the formation of a callus from a leaf or segment.

 
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