Oh, my, look what the Easter Bunny brought me:

This is an epiphyllum, or "epi" for short, also known as "orchid cactus." They are many different varieties and colors, including some that are scented and that bloom only at night.

When I bought my first orchids, I was doing some research on the internets and found "orchid cacti." The flowers are drop-dead, show-stoppingly gorgeous, and I was instantly hooked. (Shocking, I know.) Pretty much the only way you can obtain these things without having to do something illegal is to buy cuttings. You root the cuttings, and in about 3 years you have a plant that could possibly bloom.

It's basically a gamble--just like my retirement fund.

The flowers can be anywhere from 2 inches to 12 inches wide--really, that's not a joke, 12 inches. This bloom is about 4 inches wide, and it's freaking GORGEOUS. Although many cuttings will bud, you're not supposed to let them flower because it sucks all the energy from making roots into the bloom, but I just couldn't let this go by, knowing that it could be years before I'd actually see a real bloom. So, although I've been a bad horticulturalist, I'm glad I did. The cutting seems to be surviving and is actually getting new growth, and once this bloom fades away, I will be giving it lots of extra lovin' as payback.

My biggest challenge with these plants is that they get LARGE--I guess I didn't really do very good research. I was blinded by the flowers, and it was totally worth it, but I'm definitely going to have to figure out where to put them. Cuttings are great--plants, that's another story.

My research did tell me that there's a cacti and succulents show and sale here in OKC in June, and I hope to see more of these there (and maybe spend a few bucks, as well).

I didn't mention the cacti and the succulents? Oh, well, I'll leave that for another day . . . .