If you and a friend are betting on whether a flowering holiday cactus you bought at the grocery store is a Christmas, Thanksgiving, or (less likely) Easter cactus, you might simply want to call a draw.
Because depending on the flowering season and where you reside, marketers use these names for a variety of different plants. And depending on when it is sold, the same plant may be given any of those names.
The same variety, for instance, can be offered as a Christmas cactus in Canada while being sold as a Thanksgiving cactus in the United States. Why? Since Thanksgiving is celebrated early in October in Canada, the term Christmas makes more sense to customers by the time these plants are budding and blooming in November.
And because of this, it is preferable to refer to plants by their scientific names rather than local common names or promotional words in order to save your friendship. Even while there will still be some difficult-to-identify species, taxonomical changes, and scholarly conflicts, at least with botanical names we can start to use the same terminology.
I’ve also seen Christmas cactus plants marked with the incorrect botanical name, which is not surprising given that they are mass-produced for holiday customers, to round off the picture.
Check the Leaves
To identify holiday cactus, the most typical advice is to examine the shape of the leaves. While we refer to them as “leaves,” they are actually modified branches known as cladodes or “clades. If distinct, it’s a fantastic indicator, but again, there are many varieties that can fool even the most observant and skilled gardener. More details are available (below).
Observe the Blooms
Similar flowers (in a variety of colors) are produced by Schlumbergeras (see below), with a few minor variations, such as pollen colors.
Schlumbergeras have a very different flower development than Rhipsalidopsis (Easter Cactus), which is why it is rarely brought up in discussion.
The good news is that all of these plants require the same level of care, regardless of what they are (see Holiday Cactus Care Guide here).
What kind of Christmas cactus do I have, and how do I know?
Your cactus can be identified by its leaf form. The leaves of the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) have sharp protrusions that resemble crab claws. The leaves of the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesti) have rounded or teardrop-shaped projections.
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 grow 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.
How do I identify the type of cactus I have?
The physical characteristics of each cactus should be used as a starting point when distinguishing one from another. Some distinguishing physical characteristics to watch for are:
The Leaves
One essential aspect you may want to consider is the cactus plant’s leaves. Do your plants have any spines? You can determine this by examining their leaves. A leaf with spines will have needle-like, sharp edges, while a leaf without spines will have rounded edges. The color and shape of your cacti plant’s leaves can also provide useful information.
Chlorophyll and carotenoids, which are photosynthetic pigments, can be used to determine the color of leaves. Carotenoids give the plants their characteristic colors, whereas chlorophyll is in charge of receiving light energy from the sun and storing it as chemical energy.
Your cactus plant type may also be determined by the shape of the leaves. Succulent plants often have spines and needle-like leaves, whereas flat-leaved plants are typically stronger in nature since they can endure severe situations better. For instance, the leaves of a barrel cactus grow straight, whereas the leaves of a saguaro cactus are flat.
Similar to the shape and color, the different needle styles can also be used to identify the type of cacti you have, albeit the results are not always reliable. The more hardy and leafy kinds will typically have flat spines, whilst the more succulent and squishy forms would typically have needle-like spines.
How high can they grow?
When determining the type of cactus you have, you might also want to consider its height. Because plants that thrive at higher elevations typically have longer roots than those that do not, height and altitude can be utilized as a determining factor when choosing your plant type. The Saguaro Cactus, which may often reach heights of 50 feet, is the tallest of all succulents. Hedgehog and pereskia, on the other hand, are little kinds that rarely grow taller than six inches. You can tell what kind of cactus plant you have by just measuring the height of the plant.
Shape and coloration
When there are no spines or leaves to go by, a cactus’ shape and color can also be utilized to determine its type. Shape typically gives some hints about the plant’s requirements for the climate, which in turn may give more information about the nature of the plant.
Although there are so many different kinds of cactus that you can identify, you might not be able to do so just by looking at it because of its color. Another spiny variety may have a green-brown body, whereas a white-spined barrel cactus may have green. The dwarf saguaro’s yellowish hue stands out sharply from, for example, the brown spines on a barbed wire cactus.
As you can see, there are a lot of physical characteristics to watch out for that could reveal what species of cactus plant your plants are. One piece of advice is to explore further if you notice something peculiar or unusual about a particular species because it might be what you’ve been looking for.
How are its flowering style and pattern?
The way a plant blooms is another physical characteristic that will reveal whether it is a terrestrial or epiphytic plant. While terrestrial plants have roots and require direct connection to soil, epiphytes are plants that thrive in humid regions with little soil contact and depend on other plants for nutrition.
Another sign of a cactus’ kind is the way its flowers are arranged. The saguaro and barrel both feature radial patterns, while the hedgehog is another plant with radial patterns but more elongated ones. A species that forms columns, like the cardon, may have vertical stripes or zigzags with contrasting color patterns.
The most likely form of cactus you have is a cardon if it is columnar and has vertical stripes of contrasting colors. On the other hand, if your cactus has radial patterns and spines, it is probably either the barrel or saguaro type.
Although it’s not always reliable, the color of the flowers might also give you a hint about what kind of cactus your plant is. For instance, a hedgehog may have yellow blooms, or a kind of flower with a red top may be a cardon.
What about the seeds?
Depending on their environment, different cactus species generate different seeds. For instance, the Saguaro cactus produces smaller, fleshier seed pods, whereas the hedgehog produces much larger, spiky fruit. While the cardon is known to produce seeds that are round and glossy, some varieties, like the barrel cactus, will have a more oval or spherical appearance.
These various seed pod varieties can provide you hints about the kind of cactus you might grow in your garden. Perhaps after a lengthy development period, your plant that you’ve had for a while isn’t blossoming or generating any flowers? Even before planting, it may be quite beneficial to look at the seeds, since they might provide important details about the type of plant. If your cactus isn’t flowering or generating any flowers over a lengthy time of growth, it may not be blossoming due to its type or the climatic circumstances that type loves. Different cactus species generate different seed pods.
What distinguishes Christmas cactus from counterfeit Christmas cactus?
My mother used to refer to her Christmas cactus as a Thanksgiving cactus since it would be fully bloomed by the end of November when I was a child. I was a good boy and never questioned or challenged Mom. Mom was correct, and that was twenty or so years and a couple advanced degrees later. Schlumbergera truncata, the well-liked plant that is currently showing up in garden centers for the holiday season, is also known as the Thanksgiving or false Christmas cactus.
We must delve farther into the passionate love affair with the Christmas cactus in order to overcome this deceit. When we turn the clock 177 years back to 1840s England, we find William Buckley, a committed gardener, and his experiment of a Schlumbergera hybrid between two species. He combined S. truncata with S. russelliana to produce the S. x buckleyi hybrid, which was known as the real Christmas cactus. As you read this at home, you might be tempted to quickly explore the internet. If you do, you might find some outdated literature that refers to this cross incorrectly as S. bridgesii, which would add another degree of dishonesty. There are certainly some older works of literature that use Zygocactus as the genus.
You need to know a few more things at this point because you are horrifiedly staring at your fake Christmas cactus and unsure of where to look for the real one. You need to know a little bit about botany and it is difficult to pick out the imposters. The Schlumbergera’s “leaves” are actually flattened stalks known as cladophyll (phylloclades by some botanist). The faux Christmas cactus will have stems with an open branch habit and soft points or teeth around the borders. These points are simply a part of the stem that is heavily lobed; they are not spines. False Christmas cactus flowers will be cheerful and vibrant in hues of pink, white, peach, and salmon. They will be held for around 5 to 7 days at the tip of the stems, pointing slightly upward. Additionally, the blossoms will appear somewhat horizontal or flat. The stems of the genuine Christmas cactus will significantly arch downward and have a closed habit. The stems will have rounded edges with tiny, discernible points or nubs. The blossoms of a genuine Christmas cactus will be more spherical than those of an impostor, point downward, and follow the stem’s orientation. Reds, pinks, and carmine will be the colors.
You might come across the Easter cactus Rhipsalidopsis gaeteneri, a close relative of Schlumbergera as you go out on your quest to find the genuine Christmas cactus. You’ll be relieved to learn that they are rarely provided and have little financial significance in the garden retail sector. Additionally, as their name suggests, they bloom in the spring. However, if you do come upon one, what’s another plant, right?
Last but not least, I’m sure you read this article and only glanced at the genus name since, like me, you find it difficult to say (shlum-BER-ger-uh), and I doubt that did anything to assist. Just some quick information The Cactaceae family of real cactus includes the Schlumbergera, which thrives in environments that we typically do not connect with cacti. They inhabit trees like orchids and are found deep within South America’s tropical rainforest.
Wishing you luck on your exploration and do let me know if you add a genuine Christmas cactus to your collection.
Is this a cactus for Christmas?
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.
Are Zygo and Christmas cacti the same thing?
Thanksgiving cactus is also known as zygocactus (Schlumbergera truncata syn. Zygocactus truncata). During the holidays, it is offered as “Christmas cactus,” “Thanksgiving cactus,” and “holiday cactus” at various retailers. The Schumbergera x buckleyi, or “true Christmas cactus,” is not widely advertised. Christmas cactus blooms around Christmas, whereas Thanksgiving cactus blooms in late November. Cultivars differ. The purple, pink, or white blossoms of the tropical Thanksgiving cactus are a response to the late-shorter fall’s days and cooler weather. Thanksgiving cacti are winter-hardy in USDA plant hardiness zones 10 to 12, but they are typically grown as indoor plants. With the exception of their serrated edges, the little, flat green stem segments are smooth. Like many desert cactuses, this one lacks spines. The tops of the highest segments are where the flower buds develop.