A gardener recently asked me why his Christmas cactus blooms before Thanksgiving. My short answer is probably the Thanksgiving cactus, which usually blooms between Halloween and Thanksgiving. Then I asked the gardener what his cactus leafy stems looked like: they had three or four odd-looking spikes on each side, or more teardrop-like indentations. If the gardener notices that the leafy stems of his cactus have sharp edges, the plant is confirmed as a Thanksgiving cactus and not a Christmas cactus. There are even Easter cacti that bloom in the spring!
Many of the plants sold as Christmas cacti this time of year are not Christmas cacti. And most of these plants, which I call party cacti, are passed down from generation to generation as family heirlooms because they are long-lived plants, up to 100 years! As such, it is not uncommon for someone to have a holiday cactus of unknown origin.
© Photo courtesy of Mike HoganThe Gardener : What to look for when searching for the perfect Christmas tree
Simple holiday cactus
This holiday cactus is an easy-to-grow houseplant native to the Brazilian rainforest, not the desert we usually associate cacti with. These herbs are actually nutritious and not real. Thanksgiving cactus ( Schlumbergera truncate) blooms from late October to November and Christmas cactus ( Schlumbergera bridgesii) blooms from late November to late January. Easter cactus ( Hatiora gaertneri) blooms only in spring. Cacti's holiday blooming schedules sometimes make it difficult to realize that Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti bloom a second time in the spring!
Identify a festive cactus
The best way to identify the owner of a cactus is to study the shape of the leaves, which are not true leaves but modified stems called phylloclades and cladophylls. These pillow-like flat bars are arranged like links in a chain. Each of the three party cacti has a different stem shape.
Thanksgiving cactus stem segments have two to four sharp points on each side, giving the stem an odd shape. The stem segments of the Christmas cactus have rounder points. And the trunk of the Easter cactus is more elongated with rounded nodes.
© OSU Graphic Spread The best way to identify a holiday cactus is to look at the shape of the plant's stem nodes.The flowers of individual species of holiday cacti are also different. Thanksgiving cactus flowers are asymmetrical and pendulous, although the blooms appear horizontal. Christmas cacti look more symmetrical and straight. The flowers of the Easter cactus are flat, star-shaped and pointed upwards.
Holiday cacti can be red, pink, peach, yellow, purple, fuchsia, salmon, orange or white. The flowers usually last for several weeks. The Easter cactus is lighter in color than the Christmas or Thanksgiving cactus. There is also a small variety of Christmas cacti.
Care for the holiday cactus
These party cacti prefer all rich, porous, acidic soil because they are epiphytes, meaning they grow in their natural habitat, usually where branches meet or on other plants on other branches or stems. Trees In their natural habitat, these plants obtain nutrients from moisture and rain, as well as decaying leaves and plant debris.
Gardener : Make your home decor fun and bright by adding some Christmas flowers
As with houseplants, the soil for these plants should be kept evenly moist and dry between waterings. Holiday cacti should be bright, but protected from direct sunlight. Holiday cacti benefit from frequent light misting of the leaves, especially during the winter months when indoor humidity is low.
Like poinsettias, holiday cacti are short-day plants, meaning they need ideal nighttime temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit and 12 hours of total darkness before they will bloom. After the flowers have bloomed, the plants can be potted. Holiday cacti seem to do best when they are rooted, so don't rush to plant a holiday cactus in a large pot.
No matter what holiday cactus you have, these plants will add lots of color to your home during the time of year when many plants are blooming, so enjoy the color at Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter!
Mike Hogan is Extension Educator, Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Associate Professor of Extension at The Ohio State University.
hogan.1@osu.edu
This article originally appeared in The Columbus Dispatch: Gardening: The Christmas cactus is often confused with its Thanksgiving relative - know the difference
