Since the plant is an epiphyte, it sometimes has exposed roots and will gather moisture through humidity in the air.ĭuring the flowering period, keep schlumbergera truncata evenly moist.Ī handy way to water a Thanksgiving cactus is the “soak and drain” method. Don’t let these tropical plants dry out, but be sure that they don’t collect excess water in the root area, either. Humidity and watering requirements for Thanksgiving cactus :īy far, the most important aspect of Thanksgiving cactus care is watering. I keep my Thanksgiving cactus outside in the shade during the summer and indoors in a South facing window in the winter months. Be especially careful of higher temperatures when the plant has buds on it. Room temperatures of 60 to 65 ☏ are ideal. Too much sun can cause the leaves to turn reddish. Too much sun in the summer months can make the leaves pale and yellow looking. You can give it more sunlight in the winter, when it is blooming. Thanksgiving cactus grows best in light shade during the summer months. Sunlight and temperature needs for schlumbergera truncata : Read on to find out some care tips for growing Thanksgiving cactus. The plant is easy to care for and maintain. Schlumbergera truncata is a popular, winter-flowering houseplant with gorgeous blossoms that flower for quite a long time. Florist Cyclamen – A less hardy version of the normal cyclamen plant that comes to life in the winter months.Florist Kalanchoe – This pretty plant is a succulent that will flower for months on end in the winter.If you are looking for other holiday plants to enjoy during the cold weather be sure to also check out these posts: Easter cactus flowers in February in the Northern hemisphere.Īll are considered short day bloomers and need to be tricked into flowering in subsequent years. Christmas and Thanksgiving cactus flower late in the fall, with the Thanksgiving cactus flowering, prior to Christmas cactus. The other main difference is the time at which the plant flowers. Thanksgiving cactus leaves are very pointed with claw shaped projections. Those of the Christmas cactus are more scalloped or tear drop shaped. The main differences between the three types of holiday cactus are the formation of the leaf edges. All three plants look similar on first glance. The leaves have tubular shaped flowers which are produced from notches in the stems or from the tips. All of them are types of leaf cactus which form segmented stems that look like leaves in long chains. Difference between Christmas |Thanksgiving | Easter CactusĪs noted above, there are several holiday cacti types. The genus Schlumbergera was named for Frédéric Schlumberger, a famous collector of cacti who lived in the 19th century. The plant has a decreasing population and is considered vulnerable. Common names: False Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab cactus, Holiday Cactus, winter cactus.Scientific name: Schlumbergera truncata.Thanksgiving cactus is native to the mountains of Brazil with habitats being subtropical or tropical moist forests. #holidaycactus #crabcactus #falsechristmascactus Click To Tweet Head to the Gardening Cook to find out how to grow schlumbergera truncata. Share this post about Thanksgiving cactus care on Twitter Thanksgiving cactus is just one of the holiday cactus plants that flower in the winter months. In its natural habitat, Thanksgiving cactus takes root on trees and uses the decaying matter from them as a form of nutrients. This type of plant derives their moisture and nutrients from the air and rain, and grow on other plants for physical support. The word epiphyte comes from Greek words epi (meaning “upon”) and phyton (meaning “plant”.) The reason for this is because schlumbergera truncata is not a true cactus! Instead, it is an epiphyte.Įpiphytes are plants that live on other plants. Thanksgiving cactus does not fit this look at all. When most people hear the word cactus, they think of a stubby plant with spines all over it. These attractive holiday plants can be found in all the big box stores around the holidays each year and are often given as gifts to gardeners. There are several others.Įach one blooms during the season for which it is named – Easter cactus, Christmas Cactus and Thanksgiving cactus. Thanksgiving cactus is not the only flowering holiday cactus plant. We often think of Christmas as a time for lots of flowering plants in the house, but there is one which is named for Thanksgiving, too! Read on to get some tips for Thanksgiving cactus care and enjoy blossoms indoors even when there is snow on the ground! The weather is getting colder outside, but this does not mean that gardening is over.
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