Botanical Name: Schlumbergera bridgessii
Common Name: Christmas Cactus
Plant Type: Perennial
Light Requirements: Part Sun – bright light but not direct sunlight
Zone: 10
Growth Rate: Moderate
Height X Spread: 1’ H x 1‘ W
Bloom Time: Based on light, temperature and water regulation
Bloom Description: Tubular pink, purple, orange, red, or cream
Foliage Description: Green flattened leaves, scallop-edged margins
Soil: Rich, well drained
Water: Regular, water when top half is dry, water less in winter
Tidy: Pinch off at joints to encourage more branching
Fertilizer: Balanced (10-10-10) liquid houseplant fertilizer
Fertilizing cycle: Spring - at first sign of new growth
Special Maintenance: Control environment to encourage blooms
Propagation: Cuttings of flat-joined stems inserted into vermiculite
Pests & Diseases: Flower drop from too much or little water, or radical change in environment
Notes: Christmas Cactus is a winter-flowering houseplant native to the Brazilian rain forests. Even though it’s called a cactus, it’s not a desert cactus and will scorch in direct sunlight. It’s available in a wide variety of colors including red, purple, orange, pink, fuschia, and cream. In general, it’s an easy to care for plant. However, it does require three things to bloom: long nights, cool temperatures, and limited watering.
To encourage a Christmas bloom, start controlling your plant’s environment about 6 weeks before Christmas by placing it in a dark closet overnight (for about 14 hours). During the day, keep it in a cool 50-55 degree room in indirect light. Reduce watering during this 6 week period so that the plant is on the dry side. Once you see buds start to form, resume regular watering. To keep your Christmas Cactus happy, give it some humidity by placing a cup of water nearby. Or, fill a waterproof tray with pebbles, and add water to the tray about half way up the pebbles. Then, place your plant on top of the pebble tray.
Christmas Cactus is sometimes confused with Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) and Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) which have slightly different leaf and bloom characteristics.
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