Christmas Cactus

Schlumbergera commonly known as Christmas Cactus is a small genus with 6-9 species, found in the coastal mountains of southeast Brazil where they grow on trees.

A lot of people have this plant with several names, depending on when it blooms. They bloom typically between November to January depending on the variety, so they go by several names, Holiday Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, and Christmas Cactus.

The leaves are not leaves, but a type of stem known as cladodes which makes a Y shape.

My Christmas Cactus is white flowering, but they come in a variety of colors such as pink, purple, red, and yellow all with a weeping form. My plant is about 4 years old and is not a tall plant, but it does have the weeping not upright buds on the stem end.

I read they make a good house plant, but needs bright light, humid temperature between 57 and 72, and takes little water.  I  grow mine outside in a greenhouse (that the wind decided to remove the top of ).  They do not do well in hot climates so my greenhouse under a Rose of Sharon tree does well in our hot summers.

They can be propagated from cuttings, so if you have one or have a friend you can start more of them and share.

They bloom better if they are kept a little pot bound. They like to be neglected and do not like to be fussed over. Mine should do very well as it does not get fussed over at all.

photo by Betty Victor

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