HI,
a friend just gave me a few branches of orchid cactus and they looked familiar to something I have in one of my Cabbage palms. I have no idea how a cactus of any type got up there but it grows and blooms without care.
I took a few shots of it. maybe someone here can identify the plant?
First shot is to set the scene
second shot is a bit closer
third shot is closer yet
Oh to live where they grow year round in a tree. That is so neat....hope someone chimes in soon on the identity. It's a treat to see something like that for us here in snow country....Deb
Ok,
You have a hybrid Epiphyllum (the original species all have white flowers) in your palm tree. Looking at it's size, I would say it has been there for a long time. Can you rule out human intervention in it's placement? If you can, I would suspect that birds are the most likely natural agents to have transferred the seeds to your palm tree. Congratulations on a successful emulation of this type of plant in it's natural habitat, and may you enjoy it for many years to come. TTFN, Kaelkitty.
Kaelkitty in far off Australia,
I have no idea if the epiphyllum was put there by a human or a bird. It's pretty high up for a human but then this place was built in 1989 and over time there was a gardner couple here who planted some of my non-native things which I found here in a veritable jungle three years ago. Since I've cleaned up and provided some sunlight and water all those crippled plants are going crazy with growth and fruit. There is no water here during the winter season and non-native plants hang on for dear life if they get nothing to drink. Between the seasons they survive but barely. Now they glory under my sprinkler system. :-)
The epi obviously is on its own and doing quite nicely. I have a bananas under it and the wind has the epi and the big leaves in constant battle. I should cut the Banana as I have many of them but only one epi up a tree. :-)
Fred
PS to Depsi: you have potatoes and we have the sun. :-)
Hmm, I don't see flowers but the typical growth and the nice red fruit of Epiphyllum phyllanthus?
http://www.kammlott.net/Ephyllanthus.html
http://www.kammlott.net/Epis2006/Epiphyllanthusandme.jpg
http://www.kammlott.net/Epis07/Epiphylvphyl.jpg
You would really have to track the buds, since the flowers are open only for a few hours at night and not all buds open. Go out with a flashlight.... but if the flowers match, you will have an id.
Hi all,
RUK, boy am I blushing, that will teach me to open my mouth before I enlarge the thumbnail. All I can say was that I was at work and in a rush, so I took it for a slowly opening carmine flower bud, not a fruit. For Fred's benefit the rule is white night flowers usually equals species Epiphyllum, dayflowering and/or coloured flowers means you have a hybrid plant.
Look for new flowers in the spring to settle the issue. Re your banana plant - presumably it will flower fruit and die in due course - hopefully the new culms it throws will be in a slightly different location and won't annoy the epi. The epi stems are pretty tough though, I would suspect they would damage the banana leaves rather than the other way around. Eventually some bits are likely to fall of the epi naturally - this is one of the ways the plant uses to spread itself. When they do you can start some plants elsewhere in your garden as insurance, and to give you a plant where you can see the flowers in close up. TTFN, KK.
Hi again,
Yesterday two of the big bananas under the Epiphyllum phyllanthus (thanks RUK) fell down from a brief rain and a bit of wind. They cleared the space under the epi so that I can take a decent photo now. It's really a high tree and I need to get my 300mm lense out but the pictures RUK linked me to showed that the red bud was not really a flower but a seed pod. I have never seen any flowers up there but then I don't go around looking for flowers at night either. I'd need a strong flashlight to reach up there anyway. But now I know.
The banana leaves were torn up and the epi seems strong enough to hold off other plants in ts way. But let me get a picture and I'll post again.
Fred
Looks like I lost a reply I just made. I hate having to retype whatever I said the first time around. Anyway, I tried getting a better shot but the first pics I posted were fine but I'll do one more anyway.
Fred
PS I just took a walk out front of the house to get some Christmas pictures. These should be interesting for those of you ensconced in ice out in the Midwest. I just put them on my phanfare site. Enjoy!
http://fredrump.phanfare.com/album/506835/722196
Hi Fred,
I really like that last picture, its so neat having a plant like that growing in its "natural habitat", so to speak. That shot would be great in Plant Files - hopefully you can see the flowers in the spring and we can confirm the species completely and put it up - There are always so few habitat type photos in Plant Files.
I've never put anything over there. Have to see howthat works.
Fred
That is just stunningly beautiful, thank you for sharing :)
