Holiday Cactus

Light:

Bright, indirect light

Water Requirement:

Treat your cactus like any other type of tropical plant. Water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch. Do not let it sit in water.

Fertilizer:

Feed only when the plant is actively growing (Spring + Summer).

Growth Habit:

They can easily reach a spread of 2 feet within a few years. The older the cactus, the larger it can become. They can be pruned by pinching off branches between growth segments to keep them a manageable size.

Noteworthy Characteristics:

This winter-flowering houseplant is native to Brazil and grows in tropical rainforests. The plant features segmented, leaf-life stems with blooms at the ends that are typically bright pink, red, yellow, purple, or white. Although the plant usually flowers around Christmas time, hence the name, it can flower at other times throughout the year. There are several types of holiday cacti; Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They bloom closest to the holiday of their name.

These cacti flower according to light and temperature cues; to bloom, they need cool nights (around 50 degrees Fahrenheit) and more than 13 consecutive hours of uninterrupted darkness.

While the ASPCA states that Holiday cactus/Schlumbergera is non-toxic to cats and dogs, pets should not be allowed to eat the stems or flowers as the sap can be a feline allergen.