Rhipsalidopsis (Easter Cacti)

Easter cacti are members of the genus Rhipsalidopsis and are among the most beautiful of all the epiphytic cacti, flowering in April and May and should be in any collection of epiphytic cacti.    They are also very easy to grow, easily rooting from single or double stem segmentsand grow rapidly.  There are two species Rhipsalidopsis gaetneri and  Rhipsalidopsis rosea and now also many hybrids inbetween.  They are often confused with the Christmas cacti or Schlumbergeras because of the great similarity in habit.  There is a significant difference in the flowers though as while the Christmas cacti have a flower tube and are pollinated by humming birds, the Easter cacti have a more simple, rather star-like flower with no pollen tube.

Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri is also widely known as the common Easter cactus and is the larger of the two species, having large orange flowers which only fully open in full sunlight.  Rhipsalidopsis rosea is smaller but very attractive, having masses of pink flowers which can completely cover the plant during the flowering period.  

More details here shortly.

November 23, 2000