While it may seem like an unusualholiday plant, the Christmas cactus blooms at the beginning of winter.

The fleshy segmented stems of the plant are flattened leaves and slightly serrated on each side.

In late fall or early winter, flowers bloom on the ends of each stem.

Christmas cactus

The Spruce / Kara Riley

Given the right care, Christmas cactus can grow up to 2 feet wide in just a few years.

Potting Christmas Cactus

The best pots for cactus plants are terracotta or clay pots.

These pots are porous and wick away water from plants that can be harmed by overwatering.

closeup of Christmas cactus blooms

The Spruce / Kara Riley

The pot should have many drainage holes or one large one at the bottom.

Choose a potting mix specifically for succulents or cacti.

Choose an area that has stable temperature conditions, away from vents and fans.

Christmas cactus pre-bloom

The Spruce / Kara Riley

You won’t need to worry about thorny spikes as you do with other types of cacti.

Light

Provide Christmas cacti with four to six hours of diffused light during winter bloom months.

Holiday cacti preferpartial shade or diffused light, although they are adaptable to other conditions.

African violet closeup

Soil

Plant your Christmas cactus in a sandycactus mixor general-purpose potting soil mixed with perlite.

Christmas cactus roots do not like to sit in wet soil, so ensure that the mix drains well.

Water

Water Christmas cacti thoroughly once the soil has completely dried out since its last watering.

closeup of a bromeliad

You will know if the soil is too dry when the leaves start to pucker and shrivel.

Allow excess water to run out through the drainage holes.

Use a moisture meter to evaluate the soil if you are unsure if it’s truly dry or not.

potted cyclamen plants

Keep it away from heating vents, frequently-opened doors, and drafty windows.

Either use a humidifier or placea pebble tray filled with waterbeneath the pot to boost its humidity levels.

Once you’ve noticed the formation of flower budsusually late summer or early fallstop feeding.

a kalanchoe plant with white blooms

After the plant blooms, you might resume monthly feedings.

Is This Plant Right for You?

Christmas cactus is a relatively low-maintenance plant that can be right for anyone.

Desert rose plant with bright and light pink flowers on succulent stem with light green leaves

How to Get Christmas Cactus to Bloom

Christmas cacti usually bloom for four to six weeks.

The colors are showy, but the flowers are scentless.

Pruning will force the plant to branch out, and it will grow more of its distinctive stems.

you’re free to alsoprune safelyfrom after bloom to late spring without harming the plant.

To prune a Christmas cactus, give the stems a twist between one of the segments.

you’re free to also use a sharp, sterilized knife or scissors to remove segments.

Avoid propagating it in the fall while it sets its buds and as it’s actively flowering.

Christmas cactus is bestpropagated from stem cuttings.

Optionally, you’re able to root the stems in water before planting them in the soil.

Never repot the plant while it is actively blooming.

A pot larger than this can retain too much moisture or invite insects and plant diseases.

Overwintering

Holiday cacti are not cold hardy and do not tolerate frost.

These tropical plants can remain outside all year only inUSDA hardiness zones10 to 12.

They can handle nighttime lows in the 60s, but anything approaching freezing can kill the plant.

Bring the plant indoors before the first frost and maintain drier soil.

The colder temperatures should spur bud production.

You should begin to see buds forming by October.

Do not overwater your plant; soggy soil is what most often attracts these pests.

Insecticidal soapandhorticultural oilare usually effective in controlling an outbreak.

The tiny pests can also be removed by blotting them with an alcohol-soaked cotton ball.

Fungal diseases are common when plants are overwatered, leading toroot rotand stem rot.

Avoid overwatering to prevent fungal infections.

If you suspect this problem, remove it from its pot and shake off excess soil.

Mealybugs look like tiny white cotton dots about 1/8 to 1/4 inches long.

Thrips are an insect that looks like thin black slivers or tiny lobster-like insects.

Treat the thrip infestation with insecticidal soap or horticultural oil.

Correct those conditions and monitor closely for improvements.

Don’t toss your plant after the Christmas cactus blooms.

Lowering the temperature triggers a Christmas cactus to begin blooming.

Giving the plant a specific number of hours of complete darkness can help prompt the process to start.

Thanksgiving & Christmas Cacti.Clemson University Cooperative Extension.

Is It a Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter Cactus?.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.

Is It a Thanksgiving, Christmas or Easter Cactus?Iowa State University Extension and Outreach.