Why Your Christmas Cactus Isn't Blooming
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When it comes to holiday plants, poinsettias and amaryllis are at the top of our winter favorites list. But if you want a houseplant that lives for decades, consider adding a Christmas cactus to your houseplant collection. This pretty low-maintenance plant blooms for weeks and weeks and is a great way to bring some color to dark winter days.
Native to tropical mountainous regions in Brazil, these aren’t your typical cacti that live in hot, dry regions. Like some orchids, Christmas cacti (and their relatives Thanksgiving cacti and Easter cacti) are epiphytes that grow in the crotches of trees where organic matter builds up. Overall, Christmas cacti aren’t fussy plants and can stay in their pots for years. In fact, they tend to bloom better when somewhat root-bound.
Read on to learn everything you need to know in our Christmas cactus care guide:
How to Care for a Christmas Cactus
Christmas cactus plants need bright, indirect light. Keep them out of direct sunlight, which can burn their foliage (after all, they live in dappled shade in their native environments). If you’re keeping the plant in a very bright window, make sure it’s filtered with a transparent curtain.
Christmas cactus do fine in most homes with average indoor temperatures and humidity levels, if you keep them watered correctly. In fact, you only need to water when the top inch or two of soil feels dry. Don’t let them get too wet, which will cause the stems to get mushy and fall off, or too dry, or they’ll drop buds. And don’t get lazy; always poke your finger in the soil to check before giving it a drink so you don’t overdo it.
Fertilize monthly from spring through summer to ensure you get a beautiful, full bloom around the holidays. Any blooming houseplant fertilizer will do.
Potting Christmas Cacti
Christmas cacti like any well-draining potting soil. A cactus mix is fine, but it’s not entirely necessary. Just make sure the container has holes in the bottom for proper drainage. Typically, you’ll only need to repot your plant every five years or so. As mentioned, they seem to bloom better when slightly root-bound.
How to Propagate a Christmas Cactus
If your plant gets leggy or branches start dropping off because it can’t support its own weight, prune it by cutting off a piece where two stem segments join. Then save those pieces to make a new plant. Stick the piece into the soil, place the pot in bright light, and keep the soil slightly moist. Amazingly, the piece will develop roots in a few weeks! If you want to give the cutting an extra boost, dip the base of it in rooting hormone first, though it’s generally not necessary.
This is a super-easy way to fill out the pot if it’s looking sparse or to make new baby plants to share with family and friends. In fact, all holiday cacti are some of the easiest plants you’ll ever propagate.
Holiday Cactus Types
There are several different types of holiday cactus, including Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus and Easter cactus, which bloom nearest to the holidays for which they are named. All of these plants are sometimes lumped together and called “Christmas cactus,” but they’re actually different plants with subtle differences in appearance.
The confusion occurs because many retailers sell plants that are simply labeled “holiday cacti,” without clarifying which one it is. Those that are specifically named can often be mislabeled. The care is the same for all of them, but you can examine the flattened stems to tell what kind you have:
Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata) stems have sharp pointy edges
Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera bridgesii) have more rounded, scalloped edges
Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) looks like its better-known relatives, but it blooms closer to Easter and has star-shaped blooms.
How to Get Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom
Here’s where it gets tricky: All of the holiday cacti are considered short-day plants, which means they need a long period of uninterrupted darkness at night for at least six weeks to set buds. They also like cool temperatures around 50-65°F, and no light (not even a table lamp nearby or street light shining in the window at night).
You can move your Christmas cactus to a closet during the day, or if that seems like too much effort, keep it in a room that’s not used at night, such as a spare bedroom. Start this process in the late summer to get the buds to form.
Common Problems with Christmas Cactus
Christmas cactus and the other holiday cacti are actually fairly carefree plants. They rarely have issues with diseases or pests. The biggest mistake is that people tend to overwater them and they get mushy, or they forget to give them ample darkness starting in the fall and they don’t bloom. These plants also don’t like to be near heating vents, which may cause them to drop buds.
Is Christmas Cactus Toxic to Pets?
Good news! According to the ASPCA, Christmas cactus is not toxic to pets. However, any plant can cause GI upset if ingested, so keep this plant away from any pets who like to nibble.
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