Photo: Dick Culbert from Gibsons, B.C., Canada / CC BY 2.0

Crucifix Orchid Care

Epidendrum radicans · Orchidaceae

🐾 Pet-safe 🎯 Easy ☀️ Bright with some direct sun 💧 Every 5–10 days

🕮 7 min read 🕓 Last reviewed: 2026-08-23

Care at a glance

Watering

Every 5–10 days

Light

Bright with some direct sun

Temperature

10–32 °C (50–90 °F)

Humidity

Average

Soil

a chunky, free-draining orchid mix (bark, charcoal, perlite)

Difficulty

Easy

Mature size

40–120 cm (16–47 in)

Pet safety

Pet-safe

Care effort Medium

The short version

Beginner-friendly and forgiving.
Give it Bright with some direct sun.
Water every 5–10 days.
Safe around cats and dogs.

The Crucifix Orchid (Epidendrum radicans) is a popular houseplant from the Orchidaceae family, native to Central America. It is rated Easy to grow and typically reaches 40–120 cm indoors. Here is everything you need to keep it healthy — watering, light, humidity, feeding, propagation, and pet safety. It is a Fast grower, putting on most of its growth in the warm, bright months of spring and summer.

Also known asEpidendrum radicansエピデンドラム樹蘭Orquídea crucifijoÉpidendrum

📋Quick facts

Growth rate	Fast
Mature size	40–120 cm (16–47 in)
Native region	Central America
Plant family	Orchidaceae
Toxicity	Non-toxic
Air-purifying	No
Ideal for	beginners, homes with pets, a pop of colour

⚖️Pros & cons

Pros

Non-toxic to cats and dogs
Hard to kill; great for beginners
Fast, rewarding growth
Flowers indoors

Cons

Needs a bright, sunny spot

💧Watering

Water your Crucifix Orchid roughly every 5–10 days, letting the top few centimetres of soil dry out between waterings. Always empty the saucer so the roots never sit in water — overwatering is the most common way this plant is lost.

Not sure when to water? Push a finger 2–3 cm into the soil and water only when it feels dry at that depth — a cheap moisture meter or the weight of the pot works too. Water thoroughly until it runs from the drainage holes, then tip away anything left in the saucer. Soft, yellowing lower leaves usually mean too much water; crispy, curling leaves usually mean too little. Always ease off in the darker months, when the plant drinks far less.

Never forget to water

Adds a repeating event to Google Calendar every 8 days.

📅 Add a watering reminder

☀️Light & placement

The Crucifix Orchid wants bright light with a few hours of direct sun, such as a south- or west-facing window.

A south- or west-facing window is best, where it soaks up a few hours of direct sun a day. If it has been in a dim spot, introduce stronger sun gradually over a week or two to avoid scorching.

🌡️Temperature & humidity

Keep it between 10–32 °C and away from cold draughts and heating vents. It prefers Average humidity; if your air is dry, group it with other plants or use a humidifier.

🪴Soil & feeding

Plant it in a chunky, free-draining orchid mix (bark, charcoal, perlite). Feed with a dilute orchid feed every other watering while in growth, and stop feeding in autumn and winter when growth slows.

🗓️Season-by-season care

Season	Watering	What to do
Spring (Mar–May)	Resume regular watering as growth restarts.	The main growing season begins — start feeding again, repot if it is pot-bound, and take cuttings now for the best success.
Summer (Jun–Aug)	This is the thirstiest season; check the soil more often.	Keep feeding on schedule, watch for pests in the warmth, and shield the leaves from scorching midday glass. Higher humidity is welcome.
Autumn (Sep–Nov)	Let the soil dry a little longer between waterings.	Taper off feeding as growth slows, and move the plant away from cold windows and doorways before the first chills.
Winter (Dec–Feb)	Water sparingly — overwatering now is the number-one killer.	Stop feeding, give it the brightest spot you have, and keep it away from radiators, heat vents, and cold draughts.

🪟Repotting

Repot roughly every 1–2 years, ideally in spring as growth picks up. Move up just one pot size (2–3 cm wider) with drainage holes — too big a pot holds water and invites root rot. Signs it is time: roots creeping from the drainage holes or circling the surface, water running straight through, or growth that has stalled. In the years you do not repot, scrape off and replace the top few centimetres of soil.

✂️How to propagate, step by step

Spring and early summer, during active growth, give the best success. Here is how to do it, step by step:

keikis (baby plantlets on the stem)

stem cuttings in soil

Cut a 10–15 cm stem just below a node and remove the lower leaves.
Dip the cut end in rooting hormone if you have it (optional).
Push it into moist, well-draining mix and firm the soil around it.
Cover loosely with a clear bag to hold humidity, and keep in bright, indirect light.
After a few weeks, a gentle tug that meets resistance means roots have formed — remove the bag and grow on.

🔬Classification

Plant type	Orchid
Genus	Epidendrum
Family	Orchidaceae · Orchidaceae
Native to	Central America

🩺Common problems

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
Pests (mites, mealybugs)	Dry conditions or a new infected plant	Wipe the leaves, rinse, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem.
Leggy, sparse growth	Not enough light	Move it to brighter indirect light and pinch back to encourage bushiness.
Will not flower	Too little light, or it is not mature yet	Give it brighter light and be patient through a season.

🩺 Plant Doctor →

🐛Pests & prevention

The usual indoor pests are spider mites (fine webbing, speckled leaves), mealybugs (white cotton-wool tufts), scale (small brown bumps), and fungus gnats (tiny flies from soggy soil). Inspect any new plant before it joins the others, wipe the leaves now and then, and let the topsoil dry to keep gnats away. At the first sign, isolate the plant, wipe or rinse off what you can, and treat with insecticidal soap or neem oil every week until it is clear.

🐾Is it safe for pets?

Good news for pet owners: the Crucifix Orchid is considered non-toxic to both cats and dogs by the ASPCA. It is one of the safer choices for homes with animals, though eating any plant can still cause mild stomach upset.

Toxicity information is a general guide based on ASPCA data. If your pet or child may have eaten any part of a plant, contact a vet or poison control right away.