Rhipsalis floccosa aka Floccose Mistletoe Cactus

Rhipsalis floccosa is an evergreen cactus from tropical South America. It belongs to the cactus family, Cactaceae. Its range includes Brazil, Argentina, Bolivia, Peru and Venezuela. It grows in damp forests, in lowlands and mountains. This epiphyte grows on trees, but also takes root on rocks. It also lives on planted trees in towns and plantations. Several named subspecies reflect differences across its wide range.

Young plants stand upright, then their stems begin to trail. The RHS gives a garden height and spread of 0.3–1.6 feet [0.1–0.5 metres]. LLIFLE reports trailing stems reaching 3.3 feet [1 metre] or more. These figures describe a compact plant with potentially long hanging growth. The plant takes about two to five years to mature. Its thin, round stems lack leaves and spines. Their colour ranges from green to dull grey-green. Aerial roots often grow along the stems. New branches form near the stem tips rather than lower down. The base becomes woody with age. Sunken areoles carry soft wool, but no bristles.

Small flowers bring pale colour to the green stems. The RHS describes cream blooms with pink tips and a funnel shape. It records flowering in late winter and early spring. LLIFLE instead reports early summer blooms, from green-white to pale pink. The sources therefore differ on both timing and flower colour. Berries follow the flowers and range from white to pink-white. The seeds are smooth and dark brown to black.

Grow this cactus under glass in bright light filtered from direct sun. The RHS also lists partial shade as a suitable position. Use humus-rich compost that lets excess water drain away fast. High air humidity suits its needs under glass. The RHS accepts sandy or loamy growing media. It also lists acid, neutral and alkaline conditions. Its H1B rating allows outdoor growth during the UK summer. The rating gives a minimum temperature range of 10–15°C. A sheltered patio container is one suggested use.

The trailing stems give this cactus its main value in containers. The RHS does not call for routine pruning. Grow new plants from stem sections in spring or summer. Seed needs a covered propagator kept at 19–24°C. Watch for mealybugs when growing it under glass. The RHS reports few disease problems for this species.