Disocactus Species, Orchid Cactus, Strap Cactus

I obtained my current E. ackermannii from my high school home-room advisor, Dr. Kilburn, Watsonville High School, 1968. He and his neighb...Read Moreor, Mr. Menke maintained a large collection close to the beach at Rio Del Mar in Aptos, California. It is my understanding that Ackerman was a plant biologist and collector who found the species and brought them back with him to Germany where he did the first hybridizing of the New World tropical cactus. I would enjoy seeing a historical photographic record of both of the species used to produce E. ackermannii. That would be Disocactus achermannii and one other, as well as E. ackermannii. This may offer us a more definitive perspective for determining the true first hybrid, Epiphillum ackermannii.

I had a similiar orchid cactus willed to me by a woman who never labeled her plants. Unfortunately I am unable to give my old plant a tru...Read Moree identification that I feel comfortable with when using it to advertise and sell this plant. For those people who come to me for the Disocactus ackermannii, I will say it could be, but I honestly don't know. I think it is better to admit you are not sure than to say positively it is what you merely think it is.

It is a wonderful, beautiful plant, and what does it matter to the plant lover what you call it as long as you are happy with it. A collector on the other hand could have a problem with that. Either way I recommend the plant to anyone. It is a joy to watch grow and a beauty when blooming.

My mother has grown this plant for decades; the original was my grandmother's before that. The large, flat stems are covered with saucer...Read More-sized red blooms which last several days each, total blooming time is over a week, since her large plants have 20-40 blooms in various stages. She has started numerous plants from cuttings to give to friends and family.
She also has acquired two other varieties, one has large sunset-colored flowers, and the other has pink daffodil-shaped flowers which begin small and grow larger.
My mother has them on porches in the summer where they bloom; and brings them inside to the basement in the fall. By late spring, they have set buds, and she brings them up to the porch once again.
I had difficulty with mine setting buds until I read that they require temperatures under 55 degrees for at least a month. (I had assumed that light was the key like a Christmas cactus, but that did not work.) Old Pennsylvania farmhouses supplied 55 degree temps in the winter without even trying!
This winter, my plant got brown spots and scale. I guess I have not inherited the orchid cactus green thumb gene!

I've had my plant about 5 years now. Last year was the first time it had ever bloomed, but only had 2 or 3 flowers. But WOW were they a...Read Morewesome! This year it had about 17 flowers! Just incredible. It has been blooming the past week or so, and the last blooms just finished a couple days ago. (Each flower lasted 2 or 3 days). I'm going to post a couple of pictures in the Photos section.

(In the mean time, I have another plant that's blooming for the first time this year, but with only one flower, and it has just started to open tonight. I'm assuming it will last 2 or 3 days as well. The flower looks identical to the red ones, but this one's pink).

UPDATE, May 10th: Just added pics of the pink one in bloom. (Flower also lasted 3 days).