Designing with SucculentsHow to incorporate succulents and cacti into your garden design
Photo by Simona Bottone / Shutterstock .
A favored holiday plant life , Christmas cactus are succulents that are usually grown as houseplants . pronto found in garden substance and stores in mid - fall , Christmas cactuses get their name from the sentence of yr they bloom . They do require special attention to boost blossom , but otherwise are jolly well-heeled to care for .
CHRISTMAS CACTUS CARE
Here are crown to help you care for your Christmas cactus :
HOW TO GET A CHRISTMAS CACTUS TO BLOOM
The hardest part of caring for a Christmas cactus is getting it to re - bloom . Here are some summit to get you on the right path :
CHRISTMAS CACTUS vs. THANKSGIVING CACTUS
Most “ Christmas cactus ” seen in shop during the holiday time of year are really Thanksgiving cactus ( genus Schlumbergera truncata ) because they bloom slightly earlier than true Christmas cactus ( S. bridgesiiorS.xbuckleyi ) . Both are often referred to as vacation cactus or Zygocactus , confusing them even further . Their care is the same , so it ’s not critical to assure them apart , but here ’s how :
pic by Lacy Dent / Shutterstock
Photo by Kapa 1966 / Shutterstock
CHRISTMAS CACTUS PROBLEMS
A few suggestion to help you trouble-shoot common job :
CHRISTMAS CACTUS BASICS
Origin : Native to rainforests and coastal mountains of southeast Brazil ; found in nature confiscate to trees and rock , not grow in soil .
Growth rate and sizing : Can progress to a spread of 2 feet within just a few years . Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus can last for years , even decades .
leaf : Green ‘ leaf pads ’ are actually stem section .
Flowers : Bloom in a potpourri of colouring , including fuchsia ( most common ) and pink , red , white , or yellow .
perniciousness : Not toxic to dogs or cats , although the fibrous flora material can cause tummy irritation .
Easter cactus . photograph by TwilightArtPictures / Shutterstock .
WHAT ABOUT EASTER CACTUS?
To further confound the payoff , there ’s a third plant , Easter cactus ( Rhipsalidopsis gaetneri ) that looks very similar to a Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus , but is really from a completely different works group . They can be distinguished by the more subtley scalloped root word section and star - shaped flower . Easter cactuses bloom in saltation around Easter time .
