Blue Orchid Video

Some of the flowers are as rare as the green orchid because they are hard to grow and maintain; learning to appreciate its natural beauty and existence will enable the generations after us to enjoy the same benefits.

Orchid Cactus: What They Are and How to Make Them Grow


The orchid cactus is a beautiful and delicate plant sure to capture a special focal point in your home. The orchid cactus is a stunning plant that blooms in a variety of colors and unique petal shapes. Easy to maintain and collect, orchid cacti make a great addition to any plant collection. Read below for details on the nature of orchid cacti and how to best take care of this unique type of cactus.

What is the Orchid Cactus?

The orchid cactus is in fact not an orchid at all, but a specific genus or cactus: epiphyllum. Naturally, these beautiful plants live in South America, Central America and Mexico. Why is this plant referred to as an orchid cactus? The answer lies in the beautiful bloom that stems from the leaves of the plant. The leaves of an orchid cactus are flat and wavy. The stems and blooms that project from the plant are what give it the name orchid cactus.

How to Take Care of Your Orchid Cactus

An orchid cactus usually blooms between spring and summer and can be brought inside or kept outdoors depending on the climate. Light is very important in promoting blooms of your orchid cactus. Even though you may think a cactus would prefer hot sun, direct sunlight should actually be avoided. Sunlight should be filtered through blinds or a curtain.

Two other key issues in taking care of your orchid cactus include watering and fertilizing. Orchid cacti do not like to have their feet wet, so the plant should be planted in a way so water can drain. The soil should not be packed tightly, but rather a blend of organic material, inorganic material and sand should be used. When the top layer of soil grows dry, it is time to water again. In addition to watering, it is also important to fertilize your plant on a month to month basis.

How to Collect More Cacti

So how do you make more of your new favorite plant? The best way to grow multiples of orchid cacti is by taking cuts of the mature plant and planting them into moist soil. While orchid cacti also produce seedpods and can be propagated by using seed, the plants that grow from the seed are less likely to look like the parent plant than those that have been produced though cuttings.

An estimated around 100,000 horticultural varieties have been produced and hundreds of new orchids are bred every year.

1,000 species of orchids for show (The Star Online)
PLANTS lovers will have something to look for at the week-long 7th International Orchid Show from July 5.
Volunteers needed for rare orchid counts (Crookston Daily Times)
The Minnesota Natural Heritage Program is seeking volunteers to spend one or more days between July 6 and 9 helping to count Western Prairie Fringed Orchids in the vicinity of Crookston, Fertile, and Thief River Falls.
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Rare orchids have been flourishing at a site in New Addington, sparking excitement among Croydon's horticultural enthusiasts. The Greater Butterfly orchid - not often found in the area - has flowered inside the Hutchinsons Bank nature reserve on Farleigh Dean Crescent.
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The orchid is a genus with numerous species, one being the White Dendrobium orchid.

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Orchids require much more time and effort than the average house plant does.

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Regardless of where you purchase your purple orchid, consider adding this one of a kind plant to your plant collections.