One of the most vibrant flowering houseplants is the Christmas cactus. When the days become shorter, this low-maintenance plant blooms and puts on a spectacular display over the holiday season. Christmas cacti come in a broad range of hues, including pink, red, crimson, orange, gold, cream, and white, as well as bicolors, in which a single flower displays many hues simultaneously.
This easy-to-grow flowering houseplant has been a beloved holiday decoration for many years. In fact, a lovely Christmas cactus has evolved into something of a family heirloom, being handed down down the decades.
Christmas cacti are magnificent holiday plants when they are in bloom, with their vibrant flowers shining like diamonds at the ends of their stems. Christmas cacti display jagged foliage when not in flower the rest of the year, lending credence to one of their other common names, crab cactus.
Nota: The Christmas cactus is sometimes referred to as the Thanksgiving or zygo cactus.
Questions about Christmas Cactus? Send us an email if you have any inquiries concerning your Christmas cactus. An expert from our team will be pleased to attempt to assist!
Christmas Cactus Growing Instructions
For the most blooms, grow Christmas cacti in direct sunlight. It may also grow in low or medium light, however the darker it gets, the less blossoms this beautiful houseplant produces. Christmas cacti can tolerate direct sunlight on their leaves inside.
When the top inch or two of the potting mix get dry, water the Christmas cactus. In comparison to fall and winter, spring and summer are when it prefers a little more water.
Christmas cactus should be fertilized with a houseplant-specific fertilizer in the spring and early summer. For information on how much fertilizer to use and how frequently to apply it, refer to the instructions on the product container.
Christmas cactus requires ordinary to high humidity because it is native to tropical rainforests. While Christmas cactus can handle low humidity levels, you might discover that it thrives and blooms more when the humidity is higher.
The Christmas cactus thrives at ordinary temperatures, although milder fall temps of roughly 55F (13C) can encourage it to bloom.
What shades are available for Christmas cacti?
Many owners of Christmas cacti are debating whether to let their plants to bloom.
A large number of Christmas cacti are in bloom across the stores during the holiday season. They have vibrant red, pink, yellow, orange, white, or purple blossoms. The typical gardener can’t help but grasp one or more of them in vibrant hues and dash for the checkout.
But eventually, reality sets in, and you want to not only keep it alive but also want it to bloom in the next years. Why, you might even be giving your heirs a massive, spectacular Christmas cactus.
How many different shades of Christmas cactus are there?
The Schlumbergera truncata, sometimes known as the Christmas cactus, blooms from October through January. The species and its variations, sometimes known as the Thanksgiving or holiday cactus, are hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 10 through 12. Most frequently grown as a houseplant, the Christmas cactus blooms in a variety of hues, including the classic red as well as purple, pink, orange, gold, and white.
Is there a Christmas cactus that is purple?
Christmas Cactus thrives in climates with daytime highs of 70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit and evening lows of 60 to 65 degrees.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Although experts concur that fertilizer Christmas Cactus shouldn’t be done during bloom season and the weeks preceding it, neglecting to feed it properly the rest of the year can lead to problems like discolored foliage.
From April through October, you may help keep the foliage on your Christmas Cactus from becoming purple by using a standard all-purpose fertilizer twice a month.
Because Christmas Cactus requires more magnesium than the ordinary plant, you should apply a teaspoon of Epsom salts every other week. In October, stop fertilizing completely to encourage blooming during the holiday season.
Is there a Christmas cactus that is yellow?
The yellow Christmas cactus is a succulent plant that was grown in a soil mixture made especially for succulent plant species that drains effectively.
Why are Christmas cacti’s hues different?
A lovely Christmas cactus with white blossoms was a gift from my son. However, the blossoms were pink the following year. What took place?
Hybrid plants frequently revert to the prevailing hue of the original species. Fortunately, even though the flowers are not the color you ordered, they are still lovely. Keep cultivating it in a sunny area. Reduce water use beginning on October 1st, spend the nights somewhere cooler and darker, and wait to be rewarded with flowers.
What three varieties of Christmas cacti are there?
Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus, and Easter cactus are the three popular holiday cacti, each of which is called after the season in which its blooms occur. All three are straightforward to cultivate and have comparable growth patterns and maintenance needs.
Today’s holiday cactus variations are available in magenta, pink, scarlet, as well as yellow, white, orange, purple, salmon, and apricot, however these well-known cacti are typically only available in red-hued hues. The Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are tropical rain forest species, while the Easter cactus is indigenous to Brazil’s natural woods. All three are endemic to Brazil.
A white Christmas cactus exists, right?
Bright and indirect light are both beneficial to our White Christmas Cactus. These cheerful wintertime flowers look lovely when placed in a pot of a vibrant color and cheer up indoor spaces. The petals of the flowers face downward and are vibrantly colored. There are many various colors available for Christmas cacti, including yellow, red, white, pink, salmon, and bi-color.
The White Christmas Cactus grows nicely indoors in a space with direct, strong light, such as a window sill in the east or the north. The White Christmas Cactus can tolerate low light levels, but it will blossom more rapidly in bright light. When exposed to ambient temperatures of anywhere between 65 and 75 degrees F and bright, indirect light, the flowers, which are dazzling white, bloom profusely.
The plants prefer to remain in a dryer environment. During the holidays, White Christmas Cactus is stunning, offering a sophisticated white hue with vibrant green foliage. The Christmas Cactus makes a sweet hostess gift when you go to a party or get-together. They bring color and are simple to maintain, making them a wonderful addition to any home.
Why is the pink on my Christmas cactus?
Here are a few additional Christmas cactus issues that are not diseases. Usually, these issues can be resolved quickly by making a few environmental changes or taking better care of your Christmas cacti.
LIMP OR WILTING CHRISTMAS CACTUS
One of three problems could be the cause of your Christmas cactus’ withering or seeming limpness. If you leave the issue unattended, it can develop into root or stem rot, so you’ll want to recognize it and fix it right once.
The soil can be too dry, too moist, or too root-bound. Use the process of elimination to identify the issue after probing the soil with your finger to a depth of about one inch.
Solution: Let the soil dry if it is only slightly damp before watering it once again. In order to avoid root or stem rot, it is best to promptly remove the plant from wet soil and repot it in dry soil.
If after watering there is no change, the cactus may be highly root-bound. Holiday cacti do enjoy having their roots bound, but eventually this becomes too restrictive for them to remain healthy. Try repotting your plant into a new pot with a drainage hole that is one size larger and filled with cactus soil if it begins to grow but then wilts back within a few days or if it doesn’t grow after watering.
CHRISTMAS CACTUS LEAVES TURNING RED OR PINK
Your Christmas cactus may be receiving too much sun or not enough water if its leaves are turning red or pink.
Move your Christmas cactus back if it is right near to a window that receives direct sunlight during the day. Although they can tolerate some sun, they prefer indirect light. Additionally, check the soil; if it is dry to one inch below the surface, water it more frequently. Water the Christmas cactus when the soil feels dry to the touch.
CHRISTMAS CACTUS WON’T BLOOM
There could be a number of reasons why your Christmas cactus doesn’t bloom. The Christmas cactus like to be somewhat rootbound, prefers stable temperatures, wants to be left alone, and requires extended periods of darkness in the fall to begin its flowering cycle. If you’ve just brought a little plant home, be patient. The older a Christmas cactus gets, the more probable and lavishly it will bloom.
The following actions can help your Christmas cactus blossom in time for the holiday.
Midway through October, reduce watering and only water when the soil is dry to about an inch deep.
For 6-8 weeks, give it 12-14 hours of darkness at night and indirect light during the day.
Close the blinds at night if the room has windows. You can gently cover the plant with a dark cloth or bag if there is still a lot of ambient light present even with the blinds and curtains drawn. If you’re going to cover the plant with a blanket or sheet, make a frame around it or even set it between two kitchen chairs to prevent breaking.
Return to watering after the buds begin to open and the soil seems dry.
CHRISTMAS CACTUS DROPPING FLOWER BUDS
If the flower buds on your Christmas cactus develop but all fall off before the plant blooms, what will happen? In that circumstances, it might be brought on by abrupt changes in temperature, humidity, light, or overwatering or by being moved.
You’ll just need to be patient if you recently moved your Christmas cactus to a new location, home, or room. Because they dislike abrupt environmental changes and prefer solitude, it will ultimately produce fresh buds and blossoms once more.
Your cactus may lose its buds if it has received too much water. Before watering, let the soil dry if it’s wet. Repot it into barely moist cactus soil right away if the soil is waterlogged to prevent root rot. It might still lose its buds, but ultimately it should grow new ones.
Your Christmas cactus may have lost its buds if the humidity in your home changed unexpectedly (for example, if you just turned on the heating). This is because it needs higher humidity. You can either set your Christmas cactus on a pebble tray or run a humidifier in the space.
CHRISTMAS CACTUS PESTS
The same common houseplant pests that affect other houseplants can infest Christmas cacti. Isolate your plant and treat the infestation with your selected solution if you notice any signs of an infestation.
Why did the red on my Christmas cactus appear?
Christmas cacti frequently suffer from a magnesium deficit, which manifests as drooping and foliage that is stained red or purple. It mainly happens in the wintertime when feeding and watering are restricted and nutrient uptake by the plant is slowed down by the chilly weather. Wintertime temperatures between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit are ideal for the cactus. With Epsom salts, a magnesium deficit can be treated. 8 heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts should be dissolved in 2 1/2 liters of water together with 1–2 drops of dishwashing liquid. Spray the tops and undersides of the foliage with the mixture after pouring it into a spray bottle. Every two weeks, reapply the mixture to the foliage until it takes on its natural hue.
A Christmas cactus with a woody stem may not experience any problems at all; as these plants become older, the stems become more resembling wood.
Why did my Christmas cactus have purple foliage?
Your Christmas cactus leaves frequently have a purplish hue, which is typical. However, if it is conspicuously present throughout the leaves, it can indicate a problem with your plant. The following are the most typical causes of Christmas cacti’s leaves turning red or purple:
issues with nutrition
Your Christmas cactus may be deficient in essential nutrients if you don’t fertilize it frequently. From spring to mid-autumn, treat the plant every month with an all-purpose indoor plant fertilizer.
Additionally, since Christmas cacti require more magnesium than most plants, adding 1 teaspoon (5 mL) of Epsom salts to 1 gallon of water as a supplement to the plant’s diet usually works well. Throughout the spring and summer, apply the mixture once a month, but avoid using it the same week you apply conventional plant fertilizer.
dense roots
Your Christmas cactus could not be properly receiving nutrients if its roots are bound. This is one potential explanation for the Christmas cactus’ reddish-purple leaves. Don’t repot your plant until it has been in the same container for at least two or three years, but keep in mind that Christmas cactus flourishes with dense roots.
Repotting Christmas cactus is best done in the spring if you find that it is rootbound. Transfer the plant to a container that is filled with a potting mix that drains well, such as ordinary potting soil blended with perlite or sand. The pot has to be one size bigger.
Location
Christmas cactus needs bright light in the fall and winter, but excessive direct light in the summer may cause the leaves to become purple on the margins. It could be possible to avoid sunburn and fix the issue by moving the plant to a better place. Ensure that it is not near any open doors or drafty windows. In the same way, stay away from hot, dry locations like those near a fireplace or heating vent.
What kind of Christmas cactus do I have, and how do I know?
The holiday season has here, which not only calls for decorations but also festive plants! At this time of year, there are many lovely holiday plants to pick from, whether they are bought from a florist, nursery, or are grown at home. The Christmas cactus is one of the most popular plants to give or receive at this time of year. Or is it a Thanksgiving or Easter cactus?
The three cacti differ from one another in terms of how their leaves are shaped. The edges of the leaves of the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumgera truncata) are very sharply pointed and shaped like claws. The leaf projections of the Christmas cactus (Schlumgera bridgesti) are more scalloped or teardrop shaped. The edges of the leaves of the Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertnerrii) are extremely rounded and centered.
These three cacti are all classified as short-day plants. Therefore, the plant needs low temperatures and 12–24 hours of darkness in order to bloom. If you overwintered your plant outside or bought it from a florist or nursery, you should keep it in a cold, dark place until the buds appear. The optimum location is an infrequently used bedroom or lower level. The Easter cactus gets its name from the fact that it takes 8–12 weeks of short days to bloom as opposed to the Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti’s roughly six weeks. It can be brought into a warmer environment once the buds start to form for your enjoyment. At this stage, a plant may occasionally start to lose its buds. That might be caused by air currents, warm temperatures, an abundance of water, or direct sunlight. Bright light is good for the plants, but not direct sunlight. Before watering, the soil should be completely dry to one inch below the surface. Fertilizing or repotting shouldn’t be done when the plant is in bloom. The plants appear to thrive when they are root-bound.
You might see the Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus bloom once more in the spring, though perhaps not as lavishly as over the holiday season. Simply restore the plant to its short day settings to promote springtime blooming.
Unless they are overwatered, these plants are generally disease-free. If the plant turns crimson, there is either too much sun, not enough phosphorus, or not enough water. There are rumors of plants that have been passed down from generation to generation for more than a century. Take advantage of these easygoing holiday plants and establish a new gardening custom. Call the Linn County Master Gardener Hortline at 319-447-0647 with any and all of your gardening inquiries.