Grow dog tail cactus as Strophocactus, a climbing cactus with winged stems that hang from a basket. Deamia testudo or Selenicereus testudo on a tag is the same plant. It is not rat tail cactus.
Give it bright light, mix that dries, and water when the mix is dry
| Factor | Recommended | Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Bright light; some morning sun | Do not keep it in a dim corner, and do not drop a new plant into hot afternoon sun behind glass |
| Water | Soak until water runs out, then wait until the mix is dry | Do not leave the basket standing in water, and do not keep the mix wet in winter |
| Soil | Cactus mix cut with grit, coarse sand, or orchid bark | Do not use a peat-heavy mix that stays soggy |
| Site | A hanging basket or high pot with a hole | Do not plant it as a desert-bed column |
| Feed | A light cactus feed in spring and summer | Do not feed in winter |
dog tail cactus wants bright light and a mix that dries after you water. Soak until water runs out of the hole, then wait until the mix is dry before you soak again. It wants more water in spring and summer than a desert barrel, but a wet basket still rots the roots. [1] The stems are winged, often with three thin ribs, and they cling with aerial roots before they hang. Large white flowers open at night when the plant has enough light. [2] Bring the basket in before frost. A bright window is enough for winter; water only enough to keep the stems from shriveling.
How much light does dog tail cactus need?
Give it bright light, with some morning sun. A dim room stretches pale, weak stems and they skip bloom. Shade a new plant from hot afternoon sun until it is used to the spot.
How often should I water dog tail cactus?
In spring and summer, soak until water runs out, then wait until the mix is dry. In winter, water only enough to keep the stems from shriveling.
How do I get dog tail cactus to bloom?
Give it bright light through the growing season, and do not keep the mix wet all winter. The flowers are large and white, and they open at night.
Hang it in a basket with a hole
This cactus is grown so the stems can fall. Use a hanging basket or a high pot with a hole, and cactus mix or a bark mix that dries. Set it no deeper than it was already growing. [3]
- Wear gloves. The spines catch skin when you lift a full basket.
- Choose a hanging basket or a high pot with a hole. A cachepot is fine only if the inner pot can drain.
- Fill with cactus mix, or with potting mix cut with grit, coarse sand, or orchid bark. Do not pack a peat-heavy mix around the roots.
- Set the plant at the same depth as the nursery pot. Water once to settle the mix, then wait until it is dry before you water again.
- Hang it where the stems can fall freely, in bright light. Empty the saucer after you water. If frost is coming, bring the basket to a bright window.
How do I pot it in a hanging basket?
Use a hanging basket with a hole and cactus mix. Set it no deeper than it was already growing, water once to settle, then wait until the mix is dry.
Start a new plant from a stem cutting
The usual way to make more dog tail cactus is a stem cutting. In spring, cut a healthy stem at a joint, let the cut dry until it skins over, then set it in cactus mix that is barely moist. [4]
- Cut a firm stem about four to six inches long at a joint. Wear gloves, and use a clean knife.
- Set the cutting in a dry, shaded spot until the cut end skins over. A few days is enough.
- Poke the callused end about an inch into cactus mix in a small pot with a hole. Do not soak the mix on day one.
- Keep it in bright light, not hot midday sun, until a gentle tug meets resistance. Then water as you would the parent plant.
Cut dead stems at a joint
Older stems that have gone beige, brown, or soft can be cut off at a joint. That cleanup is also how you take cuttings. You do not prune this cactus to a shape the way you would a shrub.
How do I start a cutting?
Cut a firm stem four to six inches long at a joint, let the cut dry until it skins over, then set it in cactus mix. Keep the mix barely moist until it roots.
Not rat tail cactus — and not dragon fruit or Christmas cactus
Rat tail cactus is Aporocactus flagelliformis, a hanging cactus with thin round stems and magenta day flowers. Dog tail cactus is this plant: thicker winged stems and large white night flowers. See How to Grow Rat Tail Cactus if the stems are thin, round, and bristly.
Dragon fruit is Selenicereus undatus. An old tag may say Selenicereus for dog tail cactus too, but dragon fruit is a fruiting climber trained on a post. See How to Grow Dragon Fruit if you bought it for fruit. Christmas cactus is Schlumbergera, with flattened, jointed pads that bloom in winter. See How to Grow Christmas Cactus if the stems are flat. Orchid cactus is Epiphyllum — see How to Grow Orchid Cactus — also flattened, not a winged tail.
Read the Latin on the tag: Strophocactus, Deamia testudo, or Selenicereus testudo for the same plant. Aporocactus or Disocactus flagelliformis is rat tail cactus.
Is this rat tail cactus?
No. Rat tail cactus has thin round stems and magenta day flowers. Dog tail cactus has thicker winged stems and white night flowers.
Is this dragon fruit?
No. Dragon fruit is a fruiting Selenicereus trained on a post. Dog tail cactus hangs from a basket and is not grown for fruit.
Is this a Christmas cactus?
No. Christmas cactus has flattened, jointed pads and blooms in winter. Dog tail cactus has winged hanging stems.
Hang the next basket in bright light, in mix that dries, and start extras from a cutting.
FAQ
Can I leave it outdoors all winter?
Only where frost never reaches the basket. Everywhere else, grow it in a basket you can bring to a bright window before frost, and water less while it rests.
Is puppy dog tail a different plant?
Puppy dog tail cactus is a shop name for a young plant of the same hanging stems. It is not a second kind of care.
Can I grow it from seed?
Cuttings are faster if you already have a plant. Seed can sprout, but seedlings take years to hang and flower.
Do the spines poison pets?
The spines catch skin and mouths. Hang the basket where pets cannot chew the stems. Do not treat this cactus as food.
Do I need to feed it?
A light cactus feed in spring and summer is enough. Skip fertilizer in winter, and do not keep it in rich, wet mix.
Is Deamia a different plant?
Deamia testudo or Selenicereus testudo on a tag is the same dog tail cactus. Other Selenicereus sold for fruit are dragon fruit, not this hanging plant.
Is pitaya de tortuga dragon fruit?
Pitaya de tortuga is a Spanish name for this hanging cactus. It is not the dragon fruit you eat.
Recommended plants
References
More first-season notes by plant are gathered in How to Grow Guides.
Updated: Reviewed by Bosquelle Editors