About Christmas cacti

Natural habitat

Strictly technically speaking, Christmas cacti don’t have a natural habitat. They’re a hybrid species resulting from crosses between two members of the same genus: Schlumbergera truncata (Thanksgiving cactus) and russelliana.

So where do these parent species naturally hail from?

Both are jungle cacti (or tropical cacti), meaning they don’t occur in the arid habitats many of their other cactus cousins do. They’re originally found in the same small area in tropical southeastern Brazil, where they grow in moist, high-altitude forests, soaking up the humidity, dappled sunlight, and balmy temperatures.

Description

Christmas cacti are what’s often referred to as Zygocacti in horticulture and are members of the tribe Rhipsalideae. They’re epiphytic succulents that grow on trees and are easy to recognize from their growth pattern.

The plants don’t have true leaves; instead, they produce flattened, green stem segments (called cladodes) that look like long trailing leaves and are used to photosynthesize.

There’s really no mistaking a Christmas cactus’ flowers for anything else: they’re spectacular! Growing on the end of the segmented stems, the tubular flowers are triggered to open by short days and long nights, meaning they start blooming around the holiday season.

Selective cultivation has led to a very wide range of amazing flower colors like classic red and pink, but also yellow, orange, white, and multicolored.

Cultural significance and lifespan

This is definitely a plant with strong cultural significance. It’s a popular houseplant that’s used not just in the US but throughout the northern hemisphere to brighten up homes during the holiday period in November and December.

The plants are readily available beginning in mid-fall, sold at low prices when they’re in bloom and commonly discarded once they finish flowering. Many people treat Christmas cactus like poinsettia and amaryllis: as a one-time holiday houseplant.

But Christmas cactus can be kept as a houseplant year-round, and given good care, it’s a long-lasting succulent that can easily live for 20 to 30 years—even up to 100 years or more!

Can you imagine passing a houseplant down to your children or grandchildren as a living heirloom? Or inheriting a Christmas cactus so old that it’s the matriarch of the family? (I love geeking out on things like that!)

Plus, you don’t have to worry too much about handing down your beloved plant to your next of kin. Other than a bit of special attention to encourage repeat blooming in fall and winter, a Christmas cactus is fairly easy to care for.

Christmas cactus varieties

As mentioned, the “real” Christmas cactus is a hybrid plant scientifically known as Schlumbergera x buckleyi. As I’ll discuss below, though, there are a few similar species that might be referred to by the same name.

Because of its status as a hybrid, there’s a lot of variety within Christmas cacti. Some may resemble one or the other parent plant more, without being listed as a specific cultivar.

And then there are the flowers: selective breeding has produced an endless amount of different colors!

This being said, the specific cultivar is usually not listed on the plants for sale at your local store, making identification a guessing game in most cases.

Caring for a Christmas cactus

Jungle cacti like the Christmas cactus are sometimes considered difficult to care for, but they’re actually not too challenging.

The problem is that folks tend to treat them like “regular” cacti, but as we’ve seen, they don’t come from arid habitats. They’re a tropical forest species, meaning they like a bit more water and less harsh sun than their desert cousins.

Light and temperature

Although some morning or late afternoon sun is perfectly fine and probably preferred, your Christmas cactus doesn’t need the intense light that desert cacti do. It likes a bright spot on a windowsill, but indirect light is mostly the way to go. 

If you do expose your Christmas cactus to direct sun, it might start showing what’s referred to as stress coloration. This can be a bit alarming, as the leaves turn a dark, brownish red from their normal green color.

It’s not necessarily problematic, though, just something succulents do to protect themselves when they’re exposed to a lot of light. 

Although they do need somewhat lower temperatures during late fall in order to bloom successfully (I’ll describe that below), it’s important to keep in mind that Schlumbergera is a genus from the tropics that doesn’t like cold.

Normal room temperature is perfect, although a bit hotter won’t be a problem either. Just try not to let things drop below 50°F.

Water and humidity

Although they do have the capacity to store some water in their fleshy leaf segments, Christmas cacti aren’t quite as efficient at this as their desert cousins.

Don’t let yours go without for too long, or it might turn wrinkly and even start dropping foliage.

Keep your Christmas cactus’ soil lightly moist from the start of the growing season in spring through to when the blooming period ends. After that, you can let the soil dry out a bit more, though make sure it never goes bone dry.

You’ll probably be watering about twice a week during summer if your cactus is in a well-lit spot, while in winter it may only need a sip every week and a half or so. 

Soil and planting

Christmas cacti really aren’t too fussy when it comes to soil, although it’s a good idea to keep in mind that they’re naturally epiphytes that grow on trees rather than in soil. They like a mixture that’s relatively loose, but does retain some water.

They do great in Bromeliad soil, which makes sense, as Bromeliads are epiphytes as well. Sometimes you’ll find this type of potting soil called “orchid soil” or “orchid potting mix,” and it works perfectly well for Christmas cactus.

Both like a relatively acidic soil mixture with gritty material that allows excess water to drain, but also some peat to maintain a bit of moisture. 

Fertilizing

Christmas cacti aren’t very heavy feeders, but that doesn’t mean they don’t appreciate a little boost once in a while.

You can fertilize yours once a month or so during the growing season (from early spring through late summer), but make sure to stop once you see the buds start to form in fall. There’s no need to fertilize in winter since the plant isn’t actively growing.

A diluted liquid houseplant fertilizer should be perfect. Or, you can use succulent and cacti plant food that’s formulated for potted plants.

Pruning

I’ve never pruned any of my Christmas cacti: the longer their stems get, the better they look to me. If you do want to shorten them at any point, it couldn’t be easier, as you can simply pinch the segments loose. Just don’t do this if your plant is budding or blooming!

If you do decide to prune your Christmas cactus, be sure to have a look at the section on propagation (more on that below) to see how you can regrow the cuttings. 

Dividing or repotting

This species doesn’t need a large planter and you probably won’t have to repot yours to a new home all too often—it actually likes being a little crowded.

If you notice the soil has started to dry out too quickly, though, this can be a sign your Christmas cactus is very root-bound. You may need to go one pot size up come springtime.

If it’s not time to repot yet but it’s been a year or two since your Christmas cactus last received fresh soil, it might appreciate being taken out of its planter for a refresher.