Thursday, December 6, 2012

Holiday Cacti


Oh, how I do love a beautiful Christmas cactus. I bet there is not a single one of us that doesn’t remember some elderly woman from our childhood that had a massive plant full of gorgeous blooms in December. Nothing brings color to your home the way these stunning flowers do.

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This fuchsia color is the one that's so familiar to me. It’s the one reminiscent of the plant at Mrs. Parker’s house. She was a neighbor two houses down that inspired my love of gardening. We shared the same last name, but were not related.

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The cacti come in so many incredible colors now. You can find them in red, pink, fuchsia, white, orange and salmon like the color of the one below. They’re even in bi-colors now. Amazing how we can progress over the years.

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There is only one problem with my lovely Christmas Cacti, neither one of them is a Christmas cactus. They’re all Thanksgiving cacti. If you asked me about this two days ago I would have had no clue, but now I can tell the difference from the shape of the leaves. You can see in the photo below my cactus has pinnacle-like protrusions at various points along the leaf segments. This is a characteristic of the Thanksgiving cactus. Very often this time of year they are sold in stores and even some nurseries as a Christmas cactus.

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I thought for this post I would teach you how to recognize the difference between Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter Cacti. No, it’s not your Christmas cactus blooming at the wrong time of the year. That’s what I’ve believed all of my life. There are three different types. Since I only have the Thanksgiving cactus, I made an attempt at drawing you some pictures. Hopefully they are good enough that you can tell the distinct difference between the leaf patterns.

Let’s start with the Thanksgiving Cactus or Schlumbergera truncata. I could care less about the Latin names of plants, but I know it’s important to a lot of readers so I’m going to include them in the description. But then again, if you know the Latin names you already know that there are three different holiday cacti and this post is useless to you. Anyway, I digress… The Thanksgiving cactus can be easily recognized by the little points along the stem segments. Neither of the other two have this distinctive trait. This plant blooms a full month before the Christmas cactus and can also bloom a second time between March and May. The branches have a more upright pattern and so do the flowers. It’s as if they are saying look at me! They’re available in a number of colors.

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This second illustration is the Christmas cactus a.k.a. Schlumbergera x buckleyi. The leaf is elongated and has no points along the edges. The stem segments have wide, scalloped edges and both they and the flowers hang like pendulums. The blooms are magenta in color and are the ones most of us remember from Christmases past. (Yes, I know my bloom isn't magenta, but I only have so many colored pencils.) These are very long living plants and could even be passed from one generation to the next if given appropriate care. You won’t find these in stores very often because they don’t bloom quick enough to capture everyone’s attention in the early shopping and decorating rush. Most times you acquire this plant from friends and relatives. I’ll be looking for one now! BTW, it also blooms twice a year at a slightly later time than the Thanksgiving one.

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The third drawing is of the Easter cactus or Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri. This cactus has more of an oval shape to the leaves with multiple, small scallops around the edge. It also has soft bristles that grow from the end of the leaves and at the base of each segment. The stem segments are also a lighter green in color and not shiny like the other two. The flowers are a completely different shape from the Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus. In addition, they come in a variety of colors and may have multiple blooms on one leaf. When in bloom they put on quite a show, but this only happens once a year (in April) about Easter. These plants are more difficult to grow and can have a terrible habit of shedding their stem segments.

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Okay, great. Now we know the difference, so how are we going to remember it when we get in the stores? This is how I’m going to do it. Look at the picture while you read this, it may help. The Thanksgiving cactus has teeth on the leaves. We use our teeth a LOT when we eat at thanksgiving. The Christmas cactus has scallops on the leaves that are large and round just like Santa Claus. The Easter cactus has leaves shaped similar to an egg and whiskers like a rabbit. That’s how I’m going to remember it. All of these plants will really thrive and not suffer from bud drop if kept outside in a shaded place from spring through fall. They love the fresh air and dappled sunlight. Hope you learned something. :0) I know I did.

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19 comments:

  1. Good information Randy. Mine are all in bloom now, they really brighten a room up. They are one of the easiest plants to start from cuttings so when I see one I don't have a cutting follows me home.

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    1. Doc,
      I've had terrible luck with these in the past. I wasn't a caring for them properly though. Maybe I'll have better luck this time. I'd like to collect more colors too, but since I have limited space I think I'll get a Christmas one and an Easter one. I'll have different colors that bloom at different times of the year.

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  2. For goodness sakes. I didn't know this. I have had all three over the years. I just bought one of these plants a few weeks ago. It is blooming pink. I will have to go home (I am at work right now) and look to see which one I have. I think it is the Thanksgiving one. I will know for sure when I look.
    Thanks for the info. I like your drawings. You are an artist too I see.

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    1. Yaaaaaaaaaaay! Someone actually learned something from reading my blog! :0) Thank you for the compliment on the drawings, but I can’t hold a candle to you. You can tell the difference now, so they accomplished the task I intended. Have a great day! And thanks again!

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  3. That is really great on the blog, Randy.
    Well done on the drawings also!

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    1. Randy thanks I did not know that either , use to have some, you have inspired me to go get one, I saw some the other day at Lowes, Have a wonderful holliday. A G

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    2. Hey AG!!
      Hope you are doing well! It tickles me to see you've been reading my blog. ;0) Hope you have a great holiday too!

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  4. Great illustrations! I had an Easter cactus back when we lived in PA and it was a beautiful thing. Died during a wet summer though. Have a red Thanksgiving cactus and an honest-to-goodness Christmas cactus that I got a start of in a trade. The red cactus is a real weakling unfortunately.

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    1. Sweetbay,
      I was really surprised to read that they actually do very well potted up like orchids! I've probably over watered mine in the past. I think you are pretty much suppost to let them dry out before you water them. At least and inch down in the pot. I'm going to try and find someone around here taht I can get a start from on the Christmas one too! :0)BTW, I'll say again, that was a positively perfect photo of the Sleeping Beauties!

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  5. What a cool, helpful guide, Randy. My mom and dad grow Christmas cacti, and I always admire them. They're so eye-poppingly gorgeous, so festive. My dad gives them to me as presents. He roots them for me and gets them going really well . . . and then inevitably I kill them. I'm terrible with potted plants, but I want to get better!

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    1. Don't feel bad, Leslie.
      LOL! I do too, but I'm going to try and do better this time.*fingers crossed* I think I over water them. You should ask your dad what his secret is! And then tell me. :0)

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  6. WOW---I never knew this!!!!! No wonder my Christmas Cactus blooms at Thanksgiving... It's a Thanksgiving cactus... Holy Cow!!!!!! That is great info, Randy. Thanks so much. Don't think I have EVER seen an Easter cactus in bloom...

    Mine is the Fuchsia is the one I have.... I always wanted a RED one at Christmas. NOW--I'll know what to look for.

    Thanks again.
    Betsy

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    1. Betsy,
      Unfortunately, Christmas cacti only come in magenta color.But, you can get a Thanksgiving or easter cactus in Red. :-) Right now Lowes and Walmart both have Red ones. They're cheaper and bigger at Walmart.

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  7. Randy, this is a very interesting piece. Never paid much attention to the segments of the leaves. But tomorrow in daylight I will examine them. I only have two, one a Spring, or Easter blooming, only about 7 years old. The other is very special, being my grandmother's. It is many years old, pink and always blooms between Thanksgiving and Christmas. I leave it outside every summer until it gets really cool and then bring it into the basement. I haven't seen one like it actually. It is upright and the stems are jointed.

    Always thought I'd get another but just never did. They are very beautiful, especially the newer colors. Thanks for the lesson.

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    1. Barbara,
      I bet your old one that belonged to your grandmother is a true Christmas Cactus. But if it is the limbs should hang... Hmmm...

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    2. Hi Randy,

      I looked closely at my 'Christmas' Cactus. According to your picture it is more like it than the Thanksgiving. As old as it is I believe that is the case also, as there were not many new types that long ago.

      Well, the limbs are somewhat pendent. But still, the stems are pretty upright, then they become pendent from the top of the stems. It has always seemed odd in it's growth habit. The blooms are a rose pink.

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  8. Randy,

    What a wonderful post, I, as with all your post, found this to be interesting and informative. I am (was) one of those bad people that called all such cacti “Christmas Cacti”. Now armed with this knowledge I can discern between the three types. Hoping you have a great weekend. – gary

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    1. Well join the crowd, Gary! LOL Glad you learned something. Hope your weekend was great too!

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