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Aporocactus flagelliformis
A trailing cactus with long, bristly stems that hang from pots, best known for its brilliant crimson, tubular flowers. It is easy to grow if kept in bright, indirect light and watered according to season.
Aporocactus flagelliformis (syn. Disocactus flagelliformis), the rattail cactus, is a species of flowering plant in the cactus family Cactaceae, and is the more cultivated of the two species in the genus Aporocactus. Due to its ease of cultivation and attractive floral displays, it is often grown as an ornamental potted plant.
Rattail cacti are very easy to grow, being suitable for a greenhouse and container, indoors or out. These plants need a minimum temperature of 6 °C (43 °F). They should be grown in bright, indirect light, in a fairly rich potting mix. The best compost consists of four parts sandy loam, and one part of equal quantities of sand and crushed brick. They should be repotted every other year because their soil tends to sour. This does not mean, however, that they will need larger pots. Once the plants are established, the compost should be kept moist from April to October; less water is required from November until March, just enough to keep the stems from dying back. In the winter, old or discolored stems may be cut out at the base to encourage new growth.
This plant is a recipient of the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit.
Text excerpted from the Wikipedia article Aporocactus flagelliformis by its contributors, under CC BY-SA 4.0; the excerpts and the care summary drawn from them are shared under the same licence.
The care summary was written by AI (Claude, Anthropic) from the sources on this page, with general growing knowledge where they are silent. Check before relying on it.
Life form, climate and native range: World Checklist of Vascular Plants, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew (CC BY 3.0), reformatted; see Plants of the World Online.
