Disocactus anguliger, the zigzag cactus

The zigzag cactus is so unusual that it wouldn't be out of place in Jacques Dutronc's famous song. With no thorns, it doesn't grow on the ground, but in trees, and its zigzagging stems resemble leaves. Yet Disocactus anguliger belongs to the Cactaceae family and comes to us from Mexico.

Disocactus anguliger grows upright when young, then spreads out over time. At maturity, this cactus reaches a spread of 60 to 90 centimetres.

At first glance, you might think that Disocactus anguliger is an acaule plant. Indeed, its bright green, flat, succulent and deeply crenellated stems are often mistaken for leaves. But make no mistake, they are stems! Over time, they become lignified at the base.

The zigzag cactus only bears leaves during germination. They disappear after a few weeks. It also has no spines, unlike Cephalocereus senilis and most other cacti. Its stems are completely smooth.

Disocactus anguliger develops aerial roots beneath its stems. In the wild, these enable it to cling to the trees on which it grows.

The plant produces flowers around ten centimetres in diameter in late autumn, blooming on cacti over three years old. Pure white, they are borne on areoles at the base of the stem teeth and surrounded by yellow or pale orange bracts.

After flowering, Disocactus anguliger produces green, ovoid fruits that take several months to ripen. The translucent flesh inside, dotted with tiny black seeds, has a flavor reminiscent of pitaya.

The zigzag cactus is non-toxic to pets. The fragrance of its flowers, only perceptible when the sun goes down, attracts moths, the plant's main pollinators.