-Have you ever heard of a Christmas cactus?
-What is a Christmas cactus?
-What is the origin of the Christmas cactus?
-What does a Christmas cactus look like?
-How do you care for a Christmas cactus?
Answers to your Christmas cactus questions…
Christmas cactus is a tropical plant. They are quite different from the cacti that grow in the desert and they make wonderful house plants. A Christmas cactus has beautiful blooms and is a wonderful gift for the holidays.
The origin of Christmas cactus
Christmas cactus is native to South American rainforests and is plentiful in Brazil. The genus name for the plant is Schlumbergera which originates from the name of a 19th century Frenchman who collected cactus.
His name was Fredric Schlumberger. The gorgeous tropical plant is called a Christmas cactus, although it isn’t really a cactus, because it looks a lot like a cactus and it blooms around Christmas time.
Appearance of the Christmas cactus
Christmas cactus has flat stems that look like leafs. The stems of the Christmas cactus sport unique flowers, usually a deep red color, though the blooms can be various bright colors such as fuchsia and orange. Some Christmas cactus have white blooms.
Christmas cactus care
Christmas cactus require light to grow and should be kept away from heat sources such as the fireplace or heater vents since it is not tolerant to droughts as most true cacti are.
A Christmas cactus should be watered when the top of the soil feels dry. Over watering of Christmas cacti should be avoided.
After the blooms of a Christmas cactus have died, the cactus needs to be pruned to ensure that it will bloom the following year. They can be kept outside in a shady area during the summer but should not be exposed extensively to direct sunlight.
Factoid: Hummingbirds pollinate the Christmas cactus in its natural habitat.
Around October, the Christmas cactus should be placed in the dark and moved back into indirect sunlight around the end of November. With proper care, Christmas cactus will bloom in time for the holiday.
