Christmas cactus
A Christmas cactus blooms during the Christmas period and owes its name to this. The Christmas cactus is a holiday cactus, the type of plant named after the holiday it blooms on. This means that the Christmas cactus blooms in December. It is a popular and beloved houseplant that brightens up the colder months of the year.
What types of holiday cacti are there?
There are several cacti named after the holiday on which they bloom. For example, there are cacti that bloom during Thanksgiving, but also, for example, during Easter, some cacti are in bloom. These holiday cacti are called Schlumbergera truncata, but are better known as:
- Christmas cactus;
- Thanksgiving cactus;
- Easter cactus.
What is the difference between a Christmas cactus and a Thanksgiving cactus?
Because the holiday cacti belong to the same family, they are quite difficult to distinguish a Christmas cactus plant and a Thanksgiving cactus from each other. Fortunately, you can use regular schlumbergera truncata care on all holiday cacti. Still, it is understandable if you would like to know what kind of plant you have at home. Christmas cactus vs Thanksgiving cactus: in general, these types of cacti are best separated by looking at the leaf, and then specifically at the shape of it. A Thanksgiving cactus has pointy bits on the side of the leaf, while the Christmas cactus has round bulges on the leaf. In addition, you can of course also look at the time when the cactus blooms. Does the cactus have full flowers in December? Then there is a good chance that this is a Christmas cactus bloom.
How to get a Christmas cactus to bloom
How to care for Christmas cactus, you might wonder. Fortunately, it is not difficult to get a Christmas cactus to bloom. With Christmas cactus care, it is especially important that you give the cactus sufficient water. That may sound contradictory, because cacti often need very little water. However, this is because the Christmas cactus is actually not a cactus at all! So make sure that the Christmas cactus soil remains moist, without the roots rotting due to an overdose of water. Move the plant to a bright spot and wait for the first bloom!
