Hatiora salicornioides aka Dancing Bones

Hatiora salicornioides is an evergreen cactus from eastern and southern Brazil. Gardeners call it bottle cactus or drunkard's dream. Both names refer to its bottle-like stem joints. It belongs to the cactus family, Cactaceae. In rain forests, it grows on trees as an epiphyte. It also grows on rocks and sometimes in soil. Tree cover shelters it from strong sun in the wild.

This bushy plant forms a dense mass of branching stems. Garden plants reach about 1–2 feet [0.3–0.6 metres] tall and wide. RHS gives a smaller upper size of 1.6 feet [0.5 metres]. LLIFLE records occasional plants reaching 3.3 feet [1 metre]. Plants take five to ten years to reach full size. Young stems stand upright, then arch or trail under their weight. Older stems turn woody. The green joints lack leaves and have narrow bases with swollen tips. Most plants lack spines, though a few may form them. Small white marks on the stems are areoles. Woolly areoles at the tips bear short bristles and new growth.

Flowers open at the ends of young stem joints. They appear from late winter into early spring. Their shape ranges from a small bell to a funnel. Most have yellow-orange petals, though some show pale salmon tones. Each flower measures about 0.03–0.07 feet [0.01–0.02 metres] long. White berries follow the flowers. These fruits let light through and resemble small spinning tops. The supplied sources do not establish their edibility or the plant's toxicity.

Grow it in compost made for epiphytic cacti, with good drainage. RHS lists loam or sand and accepts acid, neutral, or alkaline conditions. Its light guidance calls for full sun. This differs from LLIFLE's account of shade beneath forest trees. Keep the air humid, and mist the plant each day. Give moderate water during growth, then keep it dry in winter. Feed monthly during growth with liquid fertiliser at half strength. RHS assigns H1B hardiness, allowing outdoor growth in summer. It is not a plant for cold outdoor winters.

Its branching shape gives it value as a foliage plant. RHS suggests it for city gardens and courtyards. No routine pruning is needed. Raise new plants from seed or root cuttings in spring or summer. Mealybugs and aphids may attack it. RHS reports few disease problems.