Mistletoe Cactus
Rhipsalis baccifera
- Native to:
- Angola, Argentina, Belize, Benin, Bolivia, Brazil, Burundi, Cameroon, Cayman Is., Central African Republic, Colombia, Comoros, Congo, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, DR Congo, Eswatini, Ethiopia, French Guiana, Gabon, Ghana, Guatemala, Guinea, Gulf of Guinea Is., Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Ivory Coast, Jamaica, Kenya, Leeward Is., Liberia, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mexico, Mozambique, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Panamá, Paraguay, Peru, Puerto Rico, Réunion, Rwanda, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sudan-South Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Togo, Trinidad-Tobago, Uganda, United States, Venezuelan Antilles, Virgin Islands, Windward Is., Zimbabwe
Juan Carlos Fonseca Mata
Taxonomy
- Division:
- Magnoliophyta | - Flowering plants
- Family:
- Cactaceae
- Genus:
- Rhipsalis
- Species:
- Rhipsalis baccifera
- USDA Symbol:
- RHBA2
Growth Characteristics
- Life Cycle:
- Perennial
- Growth Habit:
- Shrub
- Height:
- 900 cm
- Light Requirements:
- Part Shade
- Drought Tolerance:
- Medium
- Bloom Months:
- feb,mar,apr,may
- Bloom Colors:
- white, cream
Garden & Ecology Notes
- Wildlife Value:
- birds
- Deer Resistant:
- Yes
Soil Requirements
- Soil Type:
- rich, well-drained loamy soil
- pH:
- 5.5 - 6.5 (slightly acidic to neutral)
- Drainage:
- excellent drainage required
- Moisture:
- consistently moist
- Notes:
- native to tropical rainforests, prefers high humidity
Propagation & Germination
- Stratification:
- None required
- Germination Time:
- 14–30 days
- Notes:
- Seeds germinate readily in warm, humid conditions with light. Fresh seed germinates best.
The above propagation data sourced from Claude AI