Here’s how to do it.
How to Identify Different Holiday Cactus Varieties
The confusion is understandable.
Another key difference is when these plants bloom under natural conditions.
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bridgesii) tends to bloom around late December, while Thanksgiving cactus typically blooms closer to late November.
Hybrid plants will bloom sometime in November or December.
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Christmas Cactus
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Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera russellianasyn.S.
you might identify Christmas cactus by examining the edges and tips of its stem segments.
Its blooms are narrower than those on Easter cactus, around 1.5 inches wide.
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Water only once the soil has dried out.
It shares a similar growth habit and flower shape with the other types.
Blooms may be red, pink, purple, orange, multicolor, or white.
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This is the most significant feature that distinguishes Thanksgiving cactus from its cousins.
Unlike those on Christmas cactus, the flowers on a mature Thanksgiving cactus do not point downwards.
Give Thanksgiving cactus bright, indirect light, warm temperatures, high humidity, and well-drained soil.
Expect blooms starting around late November with the proper care.
It was once classified asSchlumbergera gaertneribut has since been reclassified asRhipsalidopsis gaertneri.
It shares its growth habit and segmented stems with the other holiday cacti.
Expect blooms starting in late March through early May.
This plant is also a little more high maintenance, requiring more consistent watering.
When buds are visible, bring the plant indoors and begin watering again.
Holiday Cactus.Wisconsin Horticulture Division of Extension.
Holiday cacti.University of Minnesota Extension.
Schlumbergera russelliana.North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Schlumbergera truncata.Missouri Botanical Garden.
Schlumbergera truncata.North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri.North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox.
