Note: You Will receive Ric rac Cactus in 4" similar to the pictures.

The Ric Rac cactus (Disocactus anguliger, it used to be Epiphyllum anguliger) is also known as the fishbone cactus and zigzag cactus. This cactus is native to Central and South America. Cacti make great houseplants because they are so easy to grow. Find out how to make your ric rac cactus thrive.

Ric Rac Cacti have long, flat, serrated leaves. These leaves are green with a pronounced rib up the center. Because the leaves trail, ric rac cactus look good in hanging baskets. The leaves grow to be about two feet long and about two inches wide.

The original color of the plant is white. Most ric rac cactus sold now are hybrids. They have big, showy blooms in pink, red, white, yellow, orange, or purple and some are bicolored. Just pick the color you want when you buy them. The flowers only open at night. In the wild, the plants are pollinated by bats.

Pots

Ric rac cactus do not usually bloom until they are rootbound. Choose a pot that is the same or one size bigger than the one the cactus came in. If you are growing a cactus from a cutting, a four-inch pot is large enough. The pot can be made of anything, but it must have drainage holes.

Light

Despite the cactus name, this plant actually grows in dappled light, not direct sunlight. It grows on the trees in the jungle, so ric rac cactus grows best in light that replicates that. Too much light will cause the plant to turn yellow and wilt.

If your plant is leggy, it is not getting enough light. Do not place this plant under a grow light unless you turn the light off at dark. You can get timer switches that can turn the light on and off for you. Leaving the lights on all the time will delay blooming.

Soil

Use a potting mix for cactus for this plant. Ric rac cactus needs well-draining soil, or it will get root rot. Ric rac cactus like the soil to be slightly acidic.

Water

More plants are killed by overwatering than any other cause. Keep the soil moist but not soggy from spring to fall, then allow it to dry out between watering in the winter. When new growth starts, start keeping the soil moist again. Let the top one-third of the soil dry out between waterings. Never allow the soil to dry out completely. If your stems are shriveled and limp, the plant needs water.

Humidity

Ric rac cactus need humidity of 40-50 percent. This is higher than most homes. The cactus grows well in the bathroom since it usually has higher humidity than the rest of the house and filtered light. You can also use a saucer filled with pebbles to increase the humidity around the plant. Fill the saucer with pebbles, then fill it with water to just below the top of the pebbles. Set the pot and saucer containing the ric rac cactus on the pebbles. You will need to refill the water as it evaporates.

Temperature

In the spring through the fall, the cactus is happy with normal household temperatures. In the winter, ric rac cactus needs temperatures of 60-65 degrees F during the day and 45-55 degrees F for eight to ten weeks or it will not bloom.

Fertilizer

From early spring to fall, feed ric rac cactus with a water-soluble fertilizer high in phosphorus and low in nitrogen every two weeks. Do not fertilize the plant in winter.