Dutchman's Pipe Cactus
Sources last read 14 September 2026.
Not yet rated How forgiving it is has not been judged here yet.
Also called Jungle Cactus, Lady of the Night, Night Queen, Night-blooming Cactus, Night-blooming Cereus, Orchid Cactus and queen of the night.
Toxicity is partly unassessed
- Not assessed for cats. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for dogs. This plant is not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
- Not assessed for people. RHS publishes no harm statement for this plant. That is not a finding of safety: none of the sources read for this site gives an answer either way. Treat it as unknown.
What the sources say about its care
- Light
- Partial shadeRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Water
- Moist but well-drainedRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Humidity
No source read publishes a humidity figure for any plant on this site. What follows is general guidance for foliage plants.
Most foliage plants prefer more humidity than a heated room gives; succulents are named as an exceptionPenn State Extension · read 13 September 2026- Temperature
How cold this tolerates, not what it prefers. No source read for this site publishes a preferred range for a plant indoors.
H1B — 10–15°C 10–15 °CRHS · read 13 September 2026- Soil
- Loam, Sand; pH Acid or Alkaline or NeutralRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to cats
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Toxic to dogs
- Not on the ASPCA list. That is not a finding of safety.ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Harmful to people
- No statement of harm to people is published for this plant; that absence is not evidence it is safe.RHS · read 13 September 2026
Routine care
- Watering
- When watering, soak the soil thoroughly, and water regularly in spring and summer. Let the top of the soil dry between waterings.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026While growing, water generously and feed 3 or 4 times with a high potash fertiliser; after flowering, keep the compost just moist for 6 weeks so the plant can rest.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Feeding
- While growing, water generously and feed 3 or 4 times with a high-potash fertiliser; for 6 weeks after flowering, keep the compost barely moist so the plant can rest.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Repotting
- It may need a new pot every 2 or 3 years.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Propagation
- Stem cuttings of queen of the night root easily.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026In spring sow seed at 21°C; in early summer take stem cuttings.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pruning
- Pruning is not needed.RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Pests and diseases
- Can be troubled by mealybugs and scale insects.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Mealybugs can occur. Diseases: usually none.RHS · read 13 September 2026
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Photographs
About the plant
Epiphyllum oxypetalum, the Dutchman's pipe cactus, princess of the night or queen of the night, is a species of cactus with a native range from Mexico to Nicaragua. It blooms nocturnally, and its flowers wilt before dawn. Though it is sometimes referred to as a night-blooming cereus, it is not closely related to any of the species in the tribe Cereeae that are more commonly known by that name. All Cereus species bloom at night and are terrestrial plants; Epiphyllum species are usually epiphytic.
From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0 · read 13 September 2026
- Native range
- C. Mexico to NicaraguaWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Central Mexico to NicaraguaNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Guatemala & MexicoRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Climate
- seasonally dry tropicalWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- Growth form
- succulent epiphyteWorld Checklist of Vascular Plants, June 2026 release, CC BY.Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026Herbaceous Perennial, Succulent; habit arching, climbing, erect, multi-stemmed, weepingNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Trailing (evergreen)RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Size
- Height 96–120 in; width 24–36 inNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Height 1.5-2.5 metres; spread 0.5-1 metres after 5–10 yearsRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Flowering
- Flowers gold/yellow, pink, white; blooms in spring, summerNC State Extension · read 13 September 2026Flowers white in spring and summerRHS · read 13 September 2026
- Uses
What sources record people using this plant for. A traditional or medicinal use listed here is a record of use, not advice to eat it or treat anything with it.
Used in herbal medicine, especially in Asia and India. The fruit can be eaten.NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
More of the Cactaceae family
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Bunny CactusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Chin CactusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
Christmas CactusSourced care, difficulty not yet judged
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Sources
- ASPCA · read 13 September 2026
- Kew WCVP · read 13 September 2026
- NC State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- Penn State Extension · read 13 September 2026
- RHS · read 13 September 2026
- Wikipedia · read 13 September 2026
What this does not cover
The figures above are what published sources say, not measurements of the plant in your room. They say nothing about your pot size, your water, the season, or how far from the glass the plant stands, and those decide more than any figure here does.
Humidity has no species figure because no source read for this site publishes one, and the only temperature published for this plant is a cold floor. The simulator fills those gaps with general figures for its kind of plant, marked as general and listed on how we read sources. Where a toxicity row says the plant was not assessed, that is the absence of a finding and not a finding of safety.
If something is already wrong, the diagnosis tool asks about the soil, the window and the watering, which is where the answer usually is.