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The monkey tail plant is a statement-making cactus that’s a suitablehouseplant for beginners.
Young plants have an upright form, but the stems develop a trailing habit as this fast-growing species matures.
Look out for red blooms when grown outdoors in year-round warm regions.
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Although this desert native appreciates full morning sun, too much intense direct afternoon sun can scorch the stems.
Too much shade results in the plant dropping its unique white spines.
Soil
Your monkey tail cactus needs a loose, well-draining cactus mix to thrive.
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Standard potting soil is too heavy and increases the risk of root rot.
it’s possible for you to buy ready-madecactus soilat your local nursery or make your own blend.
Mix three parts potting soil, three parts sand or gravel, and two partsperliteor pumice.
Water
The biggest killer of the monkey tail cactus isroot rotdue to overwatering.
This isnt a plant to grow outdoors if you live in a region with high rainfall.
During the growing season, allow the cactus soil to fully dry out before watering conservatively again.
When grown outdoors, its best to stop watering altogether in winter to minimize the risk of frosting.
Temperature and Humidity
you might grow your monkey tail cactus outdoors in warm regions year-round.
Some cool temperatures in winter help to stimulate flowering.
As you would expect of a desert native, this plant doesnt do well in high humidity.
Pruning
Low-maintenance monkey tail cacti dont need regular pruning.
Its just a case of removing broken, dying, or dead stems.
You usually only have to do this every two years.
When the cactus becomes top-heavy, consider repotting in the spring.
Wait at least a week before watering to allow the roots to settle in.
However, you could be lucky on rare occasions and see blooms indoors.
Bloom Months
The monkey tail cactus is a free-flowering species.
That means it lacks a defined bloom season and will spontaneously flower when conditions are right.
It typically occurs in the warm months of spring and summer.
How Long Does the Monkey Tail Plant Bloom?
The blooms are short-lived, putting on a show for just a few days.
However, when conditions are right, repeat blooming is common throughout the growing season.
What Does Monkey Tail Plants Flowers Look and Smell Like?
The red or pink flowers of the monkey tail cactus grow to be around 2 inches in diameter.
They appear along the stems of the cactus on top of orange-red bracts.
How to Encourage More Blooms
Deadheading spent bloomsencourages more to appear on your free-flowering monkey tail cactus.
Exposure to colder temperatures in the winter increases the chance of the plant blooming.
For heavier infestations,using an insecticidal soapcan be effective.
Floppy Stems
Weak, floppy stems can indicate your monkey tail cactus isnt receiving enough light.
Most collectors keep the monkey tail cactus as an indoor plant.
A bonus is that your plant is more likely to bloom when kept outside.
Its not suitable to grow outdoors in regions that experience long, cold winters or heavy rainfall.
As the plant matures, youll need to pot them in a sturdyhanging basketor tall planter.
