Species · genus Epiphyllum · Cactaceae

Climbing Cactus

Epiphyllum phyllanthus (L.) Haw.

Growth habit

succulent epiphyte

Native range

Argentina Northeast, Belize, Bolivia, Brazil North, Brazil Northeast, Brazil South, Brazil Southeast, Brazil West-Central, Cayman Is., Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, French Guiana, Guatemala, Guyana, Mexico Central, Mexico Gulf, Mexico Southeast, Mexico Southwest, Nicaragua, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Suriname, Uruguay, Venezuela

Reference · E. phyllanthus

Cultivars of E. phyllanthus

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under E. phyllanthus yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

A succulent epiphytic cactus from the forests of Central and South America, growing on tree branches rather than in soil. It wants a fast-draining, airy mix and bright indirect light, not direct sun. Water only when the top inch of mix has dried; as an epiphyte it drains fast and rots if left sitting wet.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–29 °C

Soil mix

Airy, fast-draining epiphyte mix

Propagation

Stem segment cuttings, callused then rooted

Fertilizing

Dilute cactus feed monthly while growing

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Slender night-opening white flowers along stem margins

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Not yet documented

This is where toxicity lives — every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

Every image credited. Licenses link to their deeds.

No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

Add images

Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Climbing Cactus yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.