Our Christmas Cactus was acquired from Mirage of Eden, an Etsy company. They have a big selection of live plants available for purchase through Etsy.
Delivery Time and Plant Condition
We’re in Miami, Florida, and the Mirage of Eden nursery is in California. However, delivery was relatively speedy, taking only 7 days through USPS to our house.
Why is it hard to find true Christmas cactus?
Schlumbergera bridgestii (Christmas Cactus) “True” Christmas Cactus are hard to come by around the holidays. The leaf segments are smooth and scalloped, and the branches dangle like a pendant from the tree. The plant is more brittle than the Thanksgiving Cactus, making shipping more challenging.
Cactus for Thanksgiving
Schlumbergera truncata is a species of Schlumbergera.
This is the plant you’ll most likely see for sale as a gift around the holidays “Cactus de Noel”. The leaves are not scalloped like the “real” Christmas Cactus, but they do feature pointy “hooks” that set them apart from their relatives. In contrast to the Christmas Cactus, which has more pendulous branches, its branches arch up before hanging down.
The Christmas cactus is a South and Central American tropical plant. They are not cactus, but they occur in the same habitats as epiphytic orchids, in the forks of tree branches, where they feed on rotting leaves and other natural waste. Can you image these flowering in the branches of the trees?
Your Christmas cactus will most likely be in bud and bloom when you get it home. If feasible, place the plant in bright light in a humid environment to prevent bud drop. As the water evaporates, placing them on a saucer or tray filled with pea gravel and water will create humidity surrounding the plant. Bud drop will occur if they are placed too close to a door, heating ducts, fireplaces, or drafty spaces.
Water less regularly during the bloom season and for approximately a month after blossoming than in the spring and summer, allowing the soil to dry between soakings. When you water, remember to water thoroughly.
Pruning and transplanting should be done in the months of February, March, and April. (Plants should be transplanted or pruned in the opposite season from when they bloom.) This is also a good time to take cuttings. In a tiny pot filled with well-drained potting soil, place one or two four-inch cuttings. About 2-3 days ahead of time, I prepare the pots and thoroughly water the soil in them. Make a hole with a pencil to place the cuttings in. Cuttings will root with or without a rooting hormone, however the hormone may speed up the process. After the soil has been bone dry for at least two weeks, do not water it again. When you water the soil, make sure it gets a good soak and then let it dry fully. While rooted, keep the cuttings under medium light.
Because Christmas cactus have short root systems, they bloom best when they are root-bound. You’ll have a huge plant in a pot that appears to be too small for its size. Check the root system by gently removing the plant from the pot when it gets difficult to keep moist. Consider transplanting it to a larger container with well-drained potting soil if it is highly rootbound. For my Christmas Cactus, I use Happy Frog Potting Soil.
Begin fertilizing monthly with a weak application of houseplant or African violet fertilizer when new growth begins in March or April and continue until September.
From October through February, monthly fertilization should be kept at a nitrogen ratio of less than 10%, and may be blended half-strength if necessary.
Water the soil thoroughly during the growing season, then allow the top 1″-2 of soil to dry before watering again (depending on the size of the pot).
What should I look for when buying a Christmas cactus?
Its stem segments have scalloped or rounded edges rather than sharp teeth. Another approach to identify your cactus is to examine the flowers, which can bloom at any time during the fall or early winter.
Do you water a Christmas cactus from the top or bottom?
Remember that Christmas cactus plants demand moist soil rather than the dry dirt preferred by most other succulents. When the top inch or two of soil on a Christmas cactus is dry, water it. Fill the pot saucer with stones and water to just below the tops of the pebbles (the pot should not be sitting directly in water) to assist improve the humidity around your plant. As the water evaporates, the air will become more humid. (See below for watering suggestions if you’re attempting to get your Christmas cactus to rebloom.)
What is the difference between a Christmas cactus and a False Christmas cactus?
My mother used to call her Christmas cactus a Thanksgiving cactus because it would be in full bloom by the end of November when I was a kid. I never questioned Mom or tried to correct her since I was a nice son. Mom was correct after twenty years and a few advanced degrees. Schlumbergera truncata, the popular plant that is already arriving in garden centers for the holiday season, is also known as the false Christmas cactus or Thanksgiving cactus.
To overcome this deceit, we must go further into the Christmas cactus’ tumultuous love story. Returning the clock 177 years to 1840s England, we find William Buckley, a passionate gardener, and his experiment with a Schlumbergera hybrid between two species. He crossed S. truncata with S. russelliana to produce the hybrid S. x buckleyi, which became known as the authentic Christmas cactus. While you’re sitting at home reading this, you might be tempted to make some fast internet searches and come across some old literature that incorrectly refers to this cross as S. bridgesii, which adds to the deception. You’ll very certainly come across some older literature that refers to Zygocactus as the genus.
You need to know a few more things now that you’re distraught over your fake Christmas cactus and wondering where to find the real Christmas cactus.
It’s difficult to spot imposters, and you’ll need a basic understanding of botany to do it.
Schlumbergera’s “leaves” are actually flattened stems known as cladophyll (phylloclades by some botanist).
The stems of the faux Christmas cactus will have an open branch habit and soft points or teeth on the borders.
These are not spines, but rather a deeply lobed section of the stem.
False Christmas cactus flowers will be bright and beautiful in pink, white, peach, and salmon tones.
They will be held at the end of the stems, pointing slightly upwards, for approximately 5 to 7 days.
The blossoms will also appear to be horizontal or flat.
True Christmas cactus stems will have a strong downward arch and a closed habit.
The stems’ edges will be rounded, with minor visible nubs or points.
True Christmas cactus blossoms are more rounder than the counterfeit, and they will point down and follow the stem’s orientation.
Carmine, pinks, and reds will be used.
If you’re looking for the actual Christmas cactus, you might come across the Easter cactus Rhipsalidopsis gaeteneri, which is a close cousin of Schlumbergera.
You’ll be relieved to learn that they have no financial value in the garden retail industry and are only occasionally offered.
They also flower in the spring, as the name suggests.
However, if you chance to come upon one, what’s another plant, right?
Finally, I’m sure you read this article and skipped over the genus name since, like me, you can’t pronounce it (shlum-BER-ger-uh), and I doubt it helped much.
a quick piece of knowledge Schlumbergera are a genus of real cacti in the Cactaceae family that grow in environments that aren’t often associated with cactus. They live deep within South America’s tropical rainforest, feeding on orchid-like trees.
Good luck on your journey, and do let me know if you come across a genuine Christmas cactus to add to your collection.
How long will Christmas cactus live?
With good cause, the Christmas cactus may be found all over throughout the holiday season. It’s a blooming succulent that’s easy to care for, has beautiful blossoms, and may survive for up to 100 years if properly cared for! That’s correct! This plant can last for decades, giving your holidays a splash of color for generations. That’s a fairly good return on investment for a plant as simple and low-maintenance as the Christmas cactus!
When can you buy Christmas cactus?
Christmas cactus are normally obtained in late autumn or early winter, when they are already in bloom or have buds. Avoid excessive temperature changes when transporting your Christmas cactus home, since this may cause some buds to fall off. Keep the soil slightly moist and place in a bright window for maximum results. During the winter bloom time, there is no need to fertilize.
Christmas cactus require as much light as possible after the final blooms have faded, and prefer to be kept cool during rest periods.
How do you take care of a real Christmas cactus?
- Maintain them in filtered (rather than direct) sunshine. Except when trying to set flower buds, keep them in bright but indirect light for the most of the year. (See below for more information.)
- Every two to three years, repot. They prefer to be little pot-bound, so let them alone for a couple of years at a time, repotting them in the spring or early summer when trying to get them to set buds, never in the fall. Overcrowding can cause yellowing stem parts, which can indicate that your plant isn’t getting enough nutrients.
- Water should be checked once a week. When the top one to two inches of soil feel dry to the touch, water it. Soak until all of the water has run out of the drain hole and through the pot. Remove any residual water from the saucer or reservoir. Overwatering is the most common issue, resulting in stem and root rot, as well as bud and flower loss.
- Make sure the soil and drainage are in good shape. Use a high-quality cactus mix with plenty of perlite before planting. Planting in a clay pot with drainage allows water to drain and evaporate more efficiently than in a plastic container, preventing the soil from becoming too wet.
- Make sure there’s enough humidity. They prefer a damp habitat because they are rainforest inhabitants. If you live in a dry climate, place the pot in a saucer filled with pebbles and water to increase the humidity around the plant. Just make sure the water doesn’t get too close to the pot’s bottom. The humidity around the plant rises as the water from the saucer evaporates.
- Use a fertilizer that is water soluble. Apply a water-soluble fertilizer to blooming houseplants starting when new growth develops in the spring until the fall, following the package guidelines for frequency and quantity. When trying to get buds to set or when in bloom, don’t fertilize.
- Take a walk outside. In late spring and summer, plants can be placed outside, but not in direct sunshine. Make sure they’re back inside before the weather becomes too cold.
- Cut them down to size. Cutting in between stem parts or twisting between segments can be used to prune your plant if it becomes too huge or lanky.
- Sections that have been pruned off can be easily propagated. Allow the pieces to sit for a few days to callus over the cut ends. Place the calloused ends in a pot with cactus mix potting soil about 1/2″ deep. Water lightly, and you should see new roots emerging in a few weeks.