Although their lifespan varies, all three are long-lived houseplants.
While some can even live up to 100 years old, most live between 10 and 30 years indoors.
The Easter holiday cacti is also native to Brazil, but it is part of the Rhipsalidopsis genus.
Easter cactusiropa / Getty Images
The Christmas cactus and Easter cactus look similar but have some key differences, mainly the time of bloom.
The Christmas cactus has scalloped-edged leaves while the Easter cactus has smooth, round-edged leaves.
Thanksgiving cactus blooms in the late fall through midwinter.
Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata)Nadya So / Getty Images
The Christmas cactus blooms from early winter to midwinter.
The Easter cactus blooms from late winter to early spring.
Stems
All three holiday plants aresucculents with fleshy leaves or stems.
Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x x buckleyi)Nadezhda_Nesterova / Getty Images
Nadya So / Getty Images
The Thanksgiving cactus has stems with sharp-toothed edges that resemble crab claws.
The leaves are by far the spikiest-looking of all holiday cacti.
Nadezhda_Nesterova / Getty Images
The Christmas cactus has stems with scalloped edges.
Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri)Arkela / Getty Images
The very slight serration on each side of the stems is symmetrical which may make them look teardrop-shaped.
The leaf tips have tiny brownish hairs.
Note that the timing varies depending on the bloom time of each cactus.
Flowers should start opening within a couple of weeks.
Deadhead Flowers
Removing spent flowersextends the bloom period of the plant and encourages more blooms.
A Christmas cactus will typically live between 10 to 30 years indoors.
Exposing your Easter cactus to the right temperature is vital in forcing it to bloom.
Easter cacti bloom in nighttime temperatures, between 55 to 60 degrees Fahrenheit.
An Easter cactus blooms once per year, usually in the springtime between March and May.
A Christmas cactus typically blooms once annually, usually in the winter.
