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When it comes to the holiday season, nothing is more iconic than the Christmas cactus, but did you know that these beautiful plants actually belong to a family of cactuses that bloom at different times of the year? Yes, that’s right. You may have purchased a cactus at a big box store or nursery thinking it was the Christmas variety, but later come to find that your cactus actually blooms at either Thanksgiving or Easter. In today’s blog, we walk through identifying the differences between each cactus and provide you with some basic, general care tips.
Pay attention to blooming time
Two of the cacti that get confused the most are the Thanksgiving and Christmas varieties. The blooming cycles of these two cacti are back-to-back and many times the label for them will simply state ‘holiday cactus’ meaning either Thanksgiving or Christmas. Because they become available in stores near Thanksgiving, sometimes you may think you are buying a Christmas cactus, when in actuality, you have purchased a Thanksgiving cactus.
If your cactus blooms during November-December, you most likely have a Thanksgiving cactus that is coordinated to bloom around the American Thanksgiving, but they can sometimes bloom a little earlier a few weeks after the Canadian Thanksgiving in October. It all depends on the conditions indoors and sometimes these cacti can even be encouraged to bloom at different times of the year by adjusting light and water conditions. This is especially true for the Thanksgiving and Christmas varieties which you may be able to get a springtime bloom out of. The more traditional Christmas cactus typically blooms between January and February, and like the name suggests, the Easter version of these cacti prefers to bloom in early spring.
Take a close look at the leaf and stem structures to spot the differences
Because the Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti get confused, looking at the leaf structure on the stems is sometimes a more helpful guide to identifying which type of cactus that you have. The next time you are caring for your cactus, take a closer look at the individual leaves and stems of your plant. If the leaves are quite spiky and look like a claw chances are you have a Thanksgiving cactus. If you see more rounded edges on the stem, less spikes, and the leaf looks more like a teardrop, this means that you have a Christmas cactus. A good indication is also to look at the pollen that falls from the flowers. A traditional Christmas cactus should produce pink pollen. The Easter cactus also has more rounded edges on its stem like the Christmas cactus, but the rounding is a lot more pronounced. The Easter cactus can sometimes have tiny hairs on the leaves which helps to separate it from its Thanksgiving and Christmas cousins.
How to get your cactus to bloom indoors and basic care tips
All three varieties of cacti are considered short day plants meaning that they need a certain period of darkness each day in order to produce blooms. If this is your first time purchasing one of these cactuses at a big box store or nursery, you may need to simulate these periods of darkness indoors until the cactus sets its buds. An ideal place is a spare bedroom that is rarely used or a basement level room that is cool and dark. Both the Thanksgiving and Christmas varieties need at least 6 weeks of these conditions before their expected bloom time in order to produce blooms. The Easter cactus needs at least 8-12 weeks to produce its blooms.
When the buds begin to set on your cactus, you can start to move it to a warmer condition with more light. Try to avoid direct sunlight, but choose a location that has brighter light than what it was in during the dormancy period. As you bring it out into warmer and brighter conditions, it may start to drop the buds, but do not panic. You may just need to move it away from any drafts in your home, give it less water, or move it out of direct sunlight. You want to make sure that it has enough moisture, but too much moisture should be avoided as you do not want the roots to sit in water where they could rot or produce fungal diseases.
Avoid fertilizing or re-potting while the plant is blooming so that you do not create any unintended interruptions to the blooming cycle. Although these plants are relatively easy to care for, a key thing to watch out for is if the leaves start to turn red. Red leaves could mean that your plant is getting too much sun, has a lack of phosphorus, or is drying out too much. Making adjustments to your care schedule is all that you will need to get your plants back on track and successfully blooming for you.
Final thoughts on how to know the difference between cactus
Growing a Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Easter cactus can be an extremely rewarding experience and often one that can last generations by being handed down over time. Learning how to spot the differences between the three different types of cacti and developing good care habits will put you well on your way to becoming a successful cactus grower. If you’d like to learn more, be sure to follow us on social media. Until next time gardening friends, we hope that you give growing some of these cacti a chance this year and discover the joy and beauty that they can add to your holiday display!