Rhipsalis sulcata
RHIPSALIS SULCATA
USDA Zones 9-11
You will receive a starter plant bare root, currently growing in 3.5" pots. Each starter plant will include 1 or more branching stems with established roots.
Rhipsalis sulcata has thick, angular stems that branch off to make a beautiful, dense trailing succulent. This variety of Rhipsalis blooms white flowers & produces white fruits.
Rhipsalis sulcata is an epiphytic jungle succulent. Epiphytic plants have shallow root systems because they retain moisture & nutrients through their stems, as well as their roots. In their native habitat you can find them growing from the nooks of trees shaded by the tree canopy.
A jungle succulent's natural environment differs greatly from your average desert succulent's habitat. When most people hear the word "succulent" they think of plants that thrive in full sun & arid, dry conditions. Those requirements are for succulents that live in the desert. Rhipsalis & other jungle succulents, however, live in tropical jungles & rainforests. The natural conditions of these environments involve heavy humidity, lots of rain, & mostly shade!
As we previously stated, Rhipsalis naturally grows out of the nooks of trees. The nooks of a tree are located along the trunk of a tree underneath their dense canopy. This area receives indirect morning light & partial shade for most of the day. In order to raise happy & healthy plants you will want to emulate this native habitat. During warm months when your plant can live outdoors, find a space that fits these light requirements, such as underneath a patio or tree. When grown indoors, don't keep your plant right next to a window. Find an area where your Rhipsalis receives bright to medium indirect light.
When it comes to moisture, jungles receive almost constant moisture, whether it be in the form of humidity or rain. Keep your plant in a well-draining soil, but make sure to water it enough so that the soil remains lightly & evenly moist. You want to make sure the water is able to escape through a drainage hole, but you also don't want to let the soil dry out completely. Water your plant when the top 1-2" of the soil is dry (you can check this with your finger or a stick; Stick method for checking moisture -- poke a stick down into the soil & if pieces of soil are stuck to the stick when you pull it out the soil is still moist. If your stick is clean of dirt than it is dry & you should water it). When you water saturate the soil until you see water draining through the drainage hole. Even though Rhipsalis' root system isn't it's primary way of receiving moisture (like most plants are), the roots do obtain some moisture from the plant, so you want to make sure the water gets down in the soil far enough to touch them!
Again, Rhipsalis is an epiphytic plant, which means it receives moisture & nutrients from the air (humidity) through it's stems, as well as its roots. It's important to make sure your plant is in a relatively heavily humid environment. Keep your plant in a naturally humid space, such as a bathroom or kitchen, or make sure to mist it's stems/foliage to mimic humidity.
After reading this you may think caring for a Rhipsalis sounds pretty involved, but when you get down to brass tax it's actually easy! Finding a space in your home that receives medium or bright indirect light is much easier than the full/direct sun space that desert succulents need & watering when the top 1-2" of soil is dry usually means once every week or week & a half. Other than that you just have to spritz it's leaves with a mister every now & then & you will have an AWESOME, unique, trailing succulent that will have everyone who see's it in awe!!