Gardening 101: Christmas Cactus - Gardenista

Gardening 101: Christmas Cactus - Gardenista
Christmas Cactus, Schlumbergera bridgesii: “Magic in Maine”
The Christmas cactus is a plant of magic and mystery. Now I know that this magical pattern actually was due to thermo-photoperiodic bloom cycles, meaning cold and darkness cause it to flower: a perfect plant for long Maine winters.
Photograph by chrisbb via Flickr.
Christmas Cactus belongs to the Schlumbergera genus, a small genus of flowering cacti that only has six species. The genus was discovered by Charles Lemaire in the mid 1800s and is named after the French cacti collector Frederic Schlumberger.
Photograph by chrissbb via Flickr.
The plant is leafless, and instead has flattened, segmented, slightly spiky stems, each with an areole from which a flower grows. An easy way to tell them apart: The stems of a Christmas cactus have smooth, rounded edges, while the stems of a Thanksgiving cactus are spiky, almost prickly.
Photograph by Maja Dumat via Flickr.
Photograph by Maja Dumat via Flickr.
Keep It Alive
Christmas cacti can live for decades, making them excellent candidates to pass down to the next generation to create a family holiday tradition. Finally, get more ideas on how to plant, grow, and care for various houseplants with our Houseplants: A Field Guide.
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