The Times Herald (Norristown, PA)
Will the real Christmas cactus please stand up?
A Facebook friend recently posted a photo of a plant laden with fuchsia-pink flowers. Her comment read: “This Christmas cactus has always been confused, ever since I first met it. Maybe it’s really a ‘Thanksgiving’ cactus?”
The post wasn’t directed to me, but since I love helping to answer botanical questions, I chimed in. “Beautiful!” I replied. “I have one that’s blooming now, too. It turns out that there are three separate types of “Christmas” cactus: Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera buckleyi), and Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertner). If you know what to look for, you can see that each type has slightly different leaf edges.”
But it’s even more confusing than that, having to do with parent plants, hybrids, and nomenclature that is often still used even though botanists changed it decades ago, e.g., S. buckleyi is sometimes still labeled as S. bridgesii. (For a more detailed explanation, check out https://summerlandgardens. com/blogs/news/the-infamouschristmas-cactus) I should perhaps back up a bit and confess that I never had much affection for any of the Schlumbergeras. I’d mostly seen specimens when they weren’t in flower, plus these were really old plants with lifeless-looking foliage hanging over the sides of old clay pots encrusted with mineral deposits. To me, the plants always looked kind of tired and bleak. To be honest, I thought they were pretty ugly.
That opinion changed two years ago when I friend gifted me with a Christmas cactus.
The plant was in bloom — with surprisingly delicate flowers in a stunning, vibrant pink hue — and the foliage was a beautiful green. The plant was so alive, it practically took my breath away. I worried though: Could I keep it looking so healthy?
When I started looking for tips on how to care for Schlumbergera, I found it more confusing that trying to sort out which cactus blooms in which season. To start with, the name “cactus” implies plants that thrive in hot, dry conditions. Not Schlumbergera! As the website countryliving.com explains, “Though they are cacti, they’re not desert-dwelling plants. … originated in the shady, humid forests of Brazil and actually grow as “epiphytes” in trees where the branches meet.” (https://www.countryliving. com/gardening/a23320047/ christmas-cactus/)
I encourage you to search out more detailed information about caring for Christmas cacti, but here are the basics:
— Provide bright, indirect light. If you put a Christmas cactus in a south-facing window, protect it from the intense light with a sheer curtain. (This is how my plant is situated.)
— Christmas cacti thrive on humidity. Most of our homes are dry during the winter. Try setting the plant pots on a dish or tray filled with pebbles and keep the tray full of water.
— Don’t overwater. Roots will rot if left sitting in water, so pour out any excess that drains into saucers. Create your own well-drained mix or buy a mix for succulents.
— Christmas cactus plants prefer being “pot bound,” so don’t rush to move them to a new, larger pot. When you do repot, make it only a marginal increase in size.
— Christmas cacti prefer daytime temperatures of 65 to 70 degrees and evening temperatures of 55 to 65 degrees. They’ll keep their blossoms longer in cooler temperatures. Extremes can cause the flower buds to drop from the plant before they have a chance to open.
For about six weeks prior to blooming, the holiday cactus requires cool temperatures (around 50-65 degrees) and between 12-14 hours of dark to set buds. (Last year, I diligently put my Christmas cactus in a closet every evening and brought it back out in the morning. This year, I forgot to do this, yet the plant is covered with blossoms.)
Finally, a couple of fun facts I learned about Schlumbergera: they can live to be 50 to 100 years old, and what we think of as leaves are actually stems.
Pam Baxter is an avid organic vegetable gardener who lives in Kimberton. Direct e-mail to pamelacbaxter@gmail.com, or send mail to P.O. Box 80, Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/author/ pamelabaxter.