Selenicereus is a member of the cactus family. This genus includes over 20 species of various plants. They are able to grow both on the ground and on rocks and trees. Most of them live in Central and South America: both in forests and in mountainous regions. Selenicereus are distinguished by thin climbing stems about 12 m long, from which aerial roots grow. With them, they cling to tree branches and other supports. The plant can grow in size by a couple of meters per year.
Another notable characteristic of this cactus is its very large flowers, similar to water lilies. Some of them reach 30 cm in diameter. The length of the corolla tube is also striking in scale: it exceeds the size of the flower itself. The color of the inflorescences is varied. The narrow outer parts of the perianth can be red, pink, brownish or yellow. The inner part of the flower, as a rule, is painted in light colors. Selenicereus flowers form for a long time, and the buds at first look like a fluffy ball. But it will be possible to admire the beautiful flowers of the plant only in the evening and at night - by the morning they have time to wither. For this property, the cactus is called the Princess or Queen of the Night.
Selenicereus juice is healing. It is used for rheumatism and muscle pain as a rubbing agent. The petals are part of a tonic tincture that helps improve the functioning of the circulatory system.
Selenicereus home care
The unusual cactus is not very common in domestic culture. Due to the original shape of the shoots, caring for Selenicereus at home may seem very difficult, but if the conditions of detention are observed, it will not cause much trouble.
Location and lighting
The cactus is photophilous, it will not be scared even by direct sunlight. The best place for a selenicereus would be a bright southern windowsill. It is also left there during the dormant period: this contributes to the laying of buds. The plant does not like to be under the lamps, preferring natural light.
Optimum temperature
In the summer, the usual temperature of +18 degrees is suitable for a cactus. He endures the heat calmly. In winter, when the plant has a dormant period, it is necessary to provide it with moderate coolness - not higher than +17 degrees. The absence of such temperature changes can lead to thinning of the stems.
Selenicereus can be capricious only because of a sharp change in conditions or cold drafts. In this case, he is able to shed the buds that have set.
Watering mode
Water the cactus as the upper third of the soil dries out. Like other similar plants, it is dangerous to flood it. Excess water usually results in rot. To water selenicereus, you will need soft water, which has settled for several days and has room temperature.For extra softening, you can add a drop of vinegar to the watering container or toss in a pinch of citric acid granules.
Humidity level
The plant will be satisfied with the usual, low room humidity. Like all cacti, selenicereus is not afraid of dry air near the batteries and does not require spraying. But if the stem of the flower becomes very dusty, you can wash it with lukewarm water.
The soil
Selenicereus soil should be light, breathable and fertile. A soil that includes sand and sod is good. You can create the mixture yourself, but the flower will also suit the universal soil for cacti. Additionally, you can add medium-sized expanded clay, gravel or brick fragments, as well as crushed charcoal to it to prevent putrefactive processes. A thick layer of drainage is laid at the bottom of the container. From time to time, it is recommended to loosen the soil in the pot a little to increase the flow of air to the root system.
Top dressing
This type of cactus has a fast growth rate. A plant needs a constant supply of nutrients to maintain its health. During periods of active development, fertilization is required almost every week - up to 3 times a month. A standard complex for succulents will do. Selenicereus is not fertilized from late autumn to March.
Transfer
Small Selenicereus plants will need to be replanted every year. This is usually done in the spring. The approximate interval for transplanting an adult plant is up to 4 years. Although cacti are usually transplanted together with an earthen clod, it is worth removing the old depleted soil from the flower as much as possible.
Overgrown adult specimens are moved to a new place only as a last resort. It will be enough to replace the topsoil with a fresh one annually. But this procedure should be done carefully, gradually and slowly scraping off the ground until roots appear.
Pruning
Long stems of Selenicereus can grow too large over time and lose their visual appeal. Individual stalks that spoil the view can be trimmed. Small pruning (up to 3 stems) will not affect the health of the plant, but a radical shearing can harm it. It is useless to form this cactus in this way: removing one shoot will not lead to the growth of many lateral ones.
To give the selenicereus a beautiful shape, you can use curly supports or rings. Cactus stems can be wrapped around them. But this must be done very carefully: the shoots of the Selenicereus do not curl and can break when trying to bend.
Selenicereus breeding methods
Selenicereus propagates by seeds or cuttings. The latter method is used much more often. In the spring, shoots about 10 cm long are cut from the tops of the stems. To prevent the development of putrefactive processes, the sections must be treated with charcoal and dried for several hours. Ready cuttings are planted in slightly moist sandy-clay soil. It is not worth deepening them too much - a few millimeters will be enough for rooting. To prevent the stalk from falling, it is leaned against the support. As it grows, the seedling will have to be moved to a larger pot. Due to its impressive stems, this cactus requires a fairly stable capacity.
The seeds are harvested from ripe cactus fruits. They should be sown shortly after harvest - this will improve the germination rate. The seeds are separated from the juicy pulp of the fruit, and then dried for several days by putting them in a tissue bag. A low pot is used as a planting container. Soil is poured into it, in which sand and clay are also present. It must be moistened before planting. The seeds are slightly buried (up to 1 cm) and covered with foil to create a greenhouse. The container must be kept in a warm room. At first, crops require daily ventilation - the film is removed for half an hour. During this time, you can additionally moisten the soil from the spray bottle. The first shoots will appear after 2-3 weeks, then the film is removed completely.When small cacti are at least a week old, they are seated in individual pots. Such a plant begins to bloom in the 5th year.
Diseases and pests
Selenicereus disease can be caused by improper care. So when overflowing, it can rot.
The main enemies of the cactus are spider mites and scale insects. It is worth fighting with them with specialized means.
Varieties of selenicereus with a photo
Selenicereus grandiflorus (Selenicereus grandiflorus)
All types of this cactus are distinguished by spectacular flowers, but the most elegant and popular of them is grandiflorus - large-flowered. The species is also remarkable for the considerable length of the shoots. They have a wavy shape and in nature often turn into large spiny tangles. At the same time, the thickness of the stems is small - it does not even reach 3 cm. Each shoot has up to 8 faces. Areoles of this variety have a light downy. Each grows over 15 spines less than 2 cm long. In old sections of the stem, they die off.
The size of a flower of this species reaches 30 cm with a tube about 20 cm long. The outer parts of the perianth are light brown. Their width is about 4 cm, and their length is up to 10 cm. The inner petals are wider, shorter and arranged in layers. In the heart of the flower there are stamens about 5 cm in size, they have a pale yellow tint. In addition to the visual appeal, the flowers of such a cactus captivate with their aroma. Their smell is a bit like vanilla. At the end of flowering, purple ovoid fruits appear on the plant. Their size reaches 8 cm.
Large-flowered Selenicereus can bloom almost all summer. Each flower lasts only a few hours, but the decorative appearance ensures their quantity. An adult plant can produce about 50 flowers.
Selenicereus anthonyanus
Anthony (anthonyanus) - not very common, but very beautiful species of Selenicereus. Due to the original type of shoots, the second name of the variety is “fish bone”. The stems of this cactus are flat and look more like long, fleshy leaves. Their width can reach 15 cm. Outwardly, they represent a long stem, along the edges of which there are unpaired lobes in the form of streamlined teeth. There are small areoles on the shoots. Each grows 3 short spines. Anthony's flowers are a little smaller - their diameter is 20 cm, and the tube grows up to 12 cm. The peculiarity of the variety is not only in the carved shoots-"leaves", but also in the color of the flowers. Each is a true palette of shades from deep purples to pale pinks. The color saturation weakens as the center approaches. The sizes of the outer and inner lobes of these flowers are almost the same, but the outer ones are slightly longer. Small yellow stamens are almost invisible - they are hidden by a large, almost white pistil with an asterisk stigma.
Selenicereus hamatus (Selenicereus hamatus)
An even rarer species of selenicereus is hamatus. Its shoots are bright green in color, and are up to 12 m long. Each of them has up to 5 ribs, on which there are noticeable hook-shaped shoots of a centimeter in length. On the areoles, there are 5 tiny light spines less than 1 cm long. The size of the flower of this variety is 20 cm. The tube is very long - it reaches 40 cm. The relatively wide outer lobes have a light green tint. The almost oval inner ones are painted white. Due to the tight fit of the layers, they resemble a bowl in shape. Each flower contains almost two dozen pistils and many yellowish stamens.
