Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Safety & Hazards
None known
Cultivation Details
Epiphyllum oxypetalum is a warm climate species, widely cultivated in tropical and subtropical areas at elevations from 75 - 2,000 metres[1]. It is not tolerant of frosts[2]. The plant is epiphytic or lithophytic. It grows well in full sun or light afternoon shade. It requires a compost rich in oganic matter and adequate moisture during the dry months[1]. The plant requires shade during the hottest part of the day, a humus rich, free-draining soil and a pH below 6[3]. The plant has escaped from cultivation and become naturalized in many parts of the world[1]. The flowers open of a night time and are sweetly scented[4].
Propagation
Seed - The plant is easily propagated from the leaflike stem cuttings[1]. Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2026-02-20. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Epiphyllum+oxypetalum>
Pollinators
Bats, Moths
References
- [1]Edible Medicinal And Non-Medicinal Plants: Volume 7, Flowers — Lim T.K. · Springer Science+Business Media; Dordrecht · 2014 · http://10.1007/978-94-007-7395-0_43 · ISBN 978-94-007-7394-3 ↩︎
- [2]Desert Tropicals — http://www.desert-tropicals.com/ ↩︎The main focus of the site is succulent plants, but it also contains information on a wide range of other species. Usually at least one good photograph, plus basic information about the plant and its cultivation.
- [3]The New RHS Dictionary of Gardening. 1992. — Huxley. A. · MacMillan Press · 1992 · ISBN 0-333-47494-5 ↩︎Excellent and very comprehensive, though it contains a number of silly mistakes. Readable yet also very detailed.
- [4]Flowers of India — http://www.flowersofindia.net/ ↩︎A wed site of native Indian plants, plus cultivated and naturalized species. It has good quality photos and terse details on more than 3,000 species and cultivars.
- [5]The Cactus Family — Anderson E.F. · Timber Press; Portland, Oregon · 2001 · ISBN 0-88192-498-9 ↩︎An excellent work, giving botanical descriptions of virtually all the cacti, together with their range (but not their habitats) and sometimes also a photo. it also contains a long chapter detailing the many uses of cacti and another on cultivation..
- [6]IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — http://www.iucnredlist.org/ ↩︎A list of plants under threat and facing possible extinction, usually with brief details of the threats and information on habitat.
- [7]Flora of Guatemala — Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark · 1946 - 1976 · http://www.archive.org/ ↩︎A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/