Rhipsalis horrida

The scientific name for Mouse Tail Cactus is Rhipsalis horrida. Its long and densely stemmed spines resemble a mouse tail! The plant originates in Central South Africa, belongs to the family of Cactaceae, and can grow up to a height of 6 inches. The growth slows down in the winter season, making the plant winter dormant. 

While the plant grows fairly quickly, ensure that it is repotted every year once the growing season is over and the flowers have bloomed to their fullest. 

Be ready to see the growth of red, pink, and orange-colored flowers that are about 0.2 inches in diameter during the summer and spring seasons. 

Mouse tail cactus have little to no watering needs. All you need to take care of is that you water them sparingly from time to time. Every 2 to 4 weeks, feed them with a balanced and general-purpose fertilizer during their growing months.

You will be required to create a gritty and acidic soil mix. Use two parts peat moss and one part sand. Mix it with bark chips to promote drainage. 

Rhipsalis horrida has a frost tolerance of anywhere between -3.9° C (25° F) to 10° C (50° F). The hardiness ranges from 9b to 11b.

Even though Rhipsalis horrida needs partial sunlight for growth, make sure the number of hours that the plant is exposed to sunlight is ample. 

The most common way of propagation for Rhipsalos horrida is vegetative propagation. Propagation is also possible through division. 

Now that you know that this plant is unseemingly long, you can try displaying it in a hanging basket in or around your favorite place at home.

Some of the information in this description has been found at desert-tropicals.com, llifle.com and cactus-art.biz