Coral Cactus

Coral Cactus (Rhipsalis cereuscula) is a jungle cactus with no spines, no menace and a habit like green coral. It builds a soft mound of slender branching stems roughly 40cm high and 40cm wide, then trails past the rim of a hanging basket as it matures. It is one of the few cacti genuinely safe around cats and dogs, and one of the few that prefers shade to a hot windowsill.

Why you'll love it

• Thornless and pet safe. Smooth soft stems with no spines at all, and not toxic to cats or dogs, so it can sit on a low shelf in a house with animals.
• It forgives a missed watering. The stems store water, so a fortnight away does no harm. Overwatering is the only reliable way to kill it.
• A shape nothing else gives you. Fine branching stems that mound then cascade, reading differently to the broad glossy leaves most indoor plants offer.
• It wants indirect light. An epiphyte from South American rainforest, growing in tree canopies rather than desert, so an interior room beats a scorching window.

Where it works best

Indoors. This is the main use and the one it suits best. Bathrooms, bedrooms, offices and bright hallways all work, and because it is grown inside, your climate stops mattering.

Hanging baskets and shelves. The stems trail well beyond the pot with age, so anywhere the plant can spill over an edge shows it best. A basket 200mm to 250mm wide is plenty.

Balconies and courtyards. Outdoors it needs a frost free shaded position in tropical, subtropical or warm temperate gardens, out of direct midday sun.

Growing Coral Cactus in Australia

Position and climate. Bright indirect light, never harsh direct sun, which bleaches and scorches the stems. It is frost tender, so outdoors it is limited to tropical, subtropical and warm temperate gardens under cover, and anywhere colder it comes inside for winter.

Soil. A free draining mix with organic matter in it, unlike a desert cactus. Orchid bark blended with premium potting mix and a little coarse sand works well, and the pot must have a drainage hole.

Water and feed. Water when the top few centimetres of mix are dry, roughly every one to two weeks in the warm months and every three to four in winter. Soak it through, tip the saucer out, and use half strength liquid fertiliser monthly in spring and summer.

Pruning and propagation. Trim stems back to a branching point to keep the mound tidy. Every piece you remove strikes readily: let the cut end dry for a day, then push it into damp mix.

What to expect when it arrives

It is grown in tube stock: a young plant, usually a small cluster of stems a few centimetres long, nothing like the full cascading basket you may have in mind. Given bright indirect light it fills a 200mm pot within a year or two and starts to trail after that, at a fraction of the cost of a mature basket.

Few plants travel better, because the stems hold their own moisture. Leave it somewhere bright and indirect for a week before the first water. Delivered Australia wide, delivery from $29.95, with our 30 day healthy plant guarantee.

Plant care guides and related reading

• Browse the wider indoor plant range
• See other pet friendly indoor plants
• How to keep your indoor plants alive
• Compare the rest of the cacti collection

Common questions

Is it safe for cats and dogs?

Yes. Rhipsalis is not toxic to cats or dogs and has no spines, which makes it one of the safer choices for a home with curious animals.

How often should I water it?

Roughly every one to two weeks in the warm months, stretching to every three or four in winter. Shrivelled stems mean too little water, soft yellowing stems mean too much.

Will it hang down like the photos?

In time. Young plants mound rather than trail, and the cascading habit develops as the stems lengthen over a couple of years. Planting it into a basket from the start saves moving it later.