This is my other collecting / growing interest. These are commonly known as Orchid Cactus. [Epiphylium] Spectacular in bloom, they are tropical / semi-tropical plants that grow in the forks of trees in the wild. They manage to live and bloom strictly on the debris and moisture trapped in the forks of trees in the jungles. These flowers are 6 to 8 inches across, and some do get larger. They live under the forest umbrella, and do not like direct sunlight.

As you can see in the picture the plant is top heavy and wants to fall over. I have had to prop it up against the window to get the pictures. During the year the plant sits nicely in its pot, but when blooming, the flowers are quite heavy, causing the plant to topple over.

My wife Bev, looks after the well being of these plants all year long, but as they begin to bloom, they become "MY" plants. Last year there were only 6 blooms, but this year there will be at least 17 beautiful flowers. They come in a variety of colours, but the 2 plants I have in bloom are both red. If any other "Epi" fans out there have plants in other colours, I would be interested in doing a swap of cuttings. Thanks for taking the time to check this out.