Summary: The Epiphyllum are sometimes referred to as the poor man’s orchid. Large creamy white blooms expand at night, and can be grown indoors and out.
In any early gardening days the lovely Spanish iris, bulbs of which came a dime a dozen, was the poor man’s orchid. Since then the poor man has had his orchid changed many times by economic conditions. Also known as the poor man’s orchid is the epiphyllum, although this doesn’t mean that epiphyllums are inexpensive. If you feel epiphyllum enthusiasm coming on, get quickly to a grower, for the blooms will soon be over. An epiphyte is a plant which gets most of its moisture from the air, and these epiphytes of the cactus family can be grown in many ways.
In the Southland garden, Epiphyllum oxypetalum, from Mexico and South America, is lovely growing up into trees where its large creamy white blooms expand at night. Many epips are grown indoors and some gardeners find the best way is to plunge the pots into raised beds and juggle the flowering plants into position as needed.
This is one plant that doesn’t become rootbound – a small container is better than a large one. Drainage is important so be sure there is a large hole in the bottom of the container. Grow plants in equal parts of well cured manure, peatmoss and decomposed granite. Overfeeding induces disease. What is called the North American fungus is the epip’s worst enemy and for that, brush affected parts with a weak solution of copper sulphate preparation.
