- Scientific name: Schlumbergera truncata (Syn: Zygocactus truncatus)
- Common name: Christmas cactus, Crab cactus, Zygocactus
- Location: Fenner School of Environment & Society, ANU
Before I came to Australia, a wise colleague of mine tole me, a PhD is about bridging gaps. Connecting the basic foundation of your knowledge with another bigger body of knowledge. Thus encouraging me to ‘run’ away from any design school. Being a part of Fenner School of Environment and Society is one of the best decision I have made in my life.
One of the challenges of my study is getting the public, building owners as well as designers to participate in my project. Several days ago, we successfully installed a vertical greenery system (VGS) at the walls of the school. This was made possible by Mel from Sow What, a company that puts horticulture and practical design as their business approach. Her knowledge on plants excites me as I was able to ask many questions about the Australians native species. Coming from Malaysia, it is a bit tricky to decide the type of plants suitable for my project because Canberra experience noticeable seasonal changes.
The VGS installation introduced me with this beautiful soft stemmed and spineless cactus. Taxonomist have decreed it as Schlumbergera but the people in plant industry call them Zygocactus. It grows successfully indoors and is a great addition of colour for indoor VGS. Our VGS is still at the early stages, it will be interesting to see how it grows throughout the year.
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