Holiday cactus 101

Care tips, blooming secrets and how to identify your holiday plant

The Christmas cactus (genus Schlumbergera) is one of the most popular plants to give and receive during the holiday season. And for a good reason – its cheery flowers of many colors can brighten even the grayest winter days. I recently had the pleasure of visiting with my fellow Idaho Master Gardener, Brenda H., who, by all accounts, is the Queen of Holiday Cacti. Brenda has a vast collection of Christmas cacti that bloom throughout the year in stunning colors. She also grows many of her plants from cuttings and seeds, which requires carefully cross-pollinating the plants with Q-tips! But hold on, if it’s a Christmas cactus, why do some plants bloom at times other than December?  The answer is simple: It’s not a true Christmas cactus but, more likely, one of its holiday cousins, like a Thanksgiving or Easter cactus. Still, the three distinct types of Schlumbergera are commonly referred to as “Christmas cactus.”