Holiday Cacti Can Live for Decades
By Mary Lou Swanson, Lake Simcoe South Master Gardener
 One of the houseplants in my living room often sparks a conversation amongst visitors. In its native Brazil, this plant is called “Flor-de-Maio” because it blooms in May, the month when winter begins there. Here in North America, clever marketers renamed this plant the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi). As our days shorten in December, its bold colourful blooms, ranging from red to white, appear just in time to brighten our homes during the holiday season.
Many people growing these succulents are confused about the bloom time. The reason is that there are so many cultivars of closely related species being sold today. Their commonality is that they’re all originally forest cacti. They grow in trees at high elevations in the mountain regions above Rio de Janeiro. Like orchids, these epiphytes don’t require soil in their natural setting, but get their nourishment from the air.
One such plant is the Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri) which generally blooms from April through May. It differs in appearance from the Christmas cactus in leaf shape. Whereas the Christmas cactus has scalloped or rounded leaf edges, the Easter cactus has pointed margins. Once established, the Easter cactus will grow as a cascading plant, with stems that reach up to 30 cm long. Its funnel shaped blooms appear in shades of red, lavender or pink and can produce more than 50
flowers at a time, depending on the variety.
The Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) is so named for the fact that its bloom time coincides with the holiday south of our border. Its flat stem segments are long and narrow and connected by a mid-rib. The deeply indented stems look like crab claws, giving it a second common name, Crab cactus. In late fall it bears an abundance of large, striking flowers which
may be red, pink, peach, orange, white or bicoloured.
For obvious reasons, this entire group of plants has acquired the name Holiday cactus. Considered heritage houseplants because of their longevity, these cacti can live for decades. To propagate by cuttings, simply twist or snip off segments from existing plants and dip them into a rooting hormone. Allow two or three days for the cut end to callous over and then plant in a damp, fast draining potting mix. It won’t be long before new growth appears.
Holiday cacti require bright indirect light. The soil should be allowed to dry out before watering. Fertilize twice a month with a balanced houseplant fertilizer at half strength. Provide the plant with cool, dryer conditions for a couple of months prior to its bloom time to encourage the formation of flower buds. After blooms have dropped, stop fertilizing for a month.
This versatile group of plants are easy to grow. If taken care of properly, a single plant can add a delightful touch of colour to your holiday celebrations for decades.
Lake Simcoe South Master Gardeners provide free gardening advice. Send your questions to our gardening hotline at lssmastergardeners@gmail.com
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