Christmas Cactus or Thanksgiving Cactus? Which One Do You Have?
Do you know which holiday cactus you have? We explain which is which and how to get those beautiful blooms!
Christmas cacti are such beautiful plants when they flower, and we often hear that cuttings have been passed down from generation to generation, often still thriving after decades. But are you sure you know which holiday cactus you have? They are often confused.
Which Holiday Cactus Do You Have?
Here’s a startling revelation: you may have a Thanksgiving cactus instead of a Christmas cactus! Although they look very similar, they’re two different plants.
Unfortunately, the confusion between these holiday succulents is perpetuated by the fact that they’re often mislabeled in garden centers. And since they both bloom in late fall or early winter it further adds to the confusion. But it’s it’s nice to know which one you truly have. Here’s how to tell them apart:
Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumbergera truncata)
Leaves: You can tell the Thanksgiving cactus apart from the Christmas cactus by the shape of its leaves. The leaf segments, called “phylloclades,” are serrated or “toothed,” with pointy spines; with 2-4 on each side.
This is why these succulents are referred to as “Crab Claw Cactus.” The end of the last segment is slightly concave with a point on each side.
Flowers: Flowers of the Thanksgiving cactus are produced from the tips, or from where the leaf segments join. They resemble a long tube, appearing as if a flower within a flower.
They come in a range of colors, mostly pastels, including red, pink, peach, purple, orange, or white, and typically bloom in Thanksgiving.
Also, look at the pollen-bearing anthers—Thanksgiving cactus anthers are yellow, while Christmas cactus anthers are pink to purplish-brown.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii)
Leaves: The leaves of the Christmas cactus have a more rounded, scalloped edge. The tip of each segment is slightly curved but they can look almost straight across.
Flowers: The flowers of the Christmas cactus are usually pink or white and bloom in December. But don’t be surprised if you also see blooms between March and May on these plants.
Easter Cactus
Believe it or not, there’s also an Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri), which blooms in … you guessed it—spring! These succulents have leaves with small bristles and a thick ridge on one side.
The flowers have more of a star-shape. They’re native to the natural non-tropical forests of Brazil. Caution, though, when watering as this cactus is much more sensitive to over- or under-watering.
Read: Tips to Care for your Christmas Cactus and Poinsettias
Getting Your Holiday Cacti to Bloom
If you’re hoping to get blooms in time for Thanksgiving or Christmas, you’ll need to begin temperature treatments several weeks before. Your plant will need 12 to 14 hours of total darkness, along with cool nighttime temperatures of 60-65 F for about 3—4 weeks in order for buds to form.
One way to do this is to place the plant in a dark closet from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. Or, you can cover the plant with a large paper bag in the same timeframe. Once you see buds, you can resume normal lighting, but keep the plants cool.
If you keep the plant in a continuously cool room (around 50—60º F) in September and October, chances are excellent that it will produce flowers, although you’ll notice growth will be slower. If temps are too cool, you’ll find that the buds may drop off. So it’s a bit of a balancing act.
March Blooms?
Sometimes Christmas cacti and Thanksgiving cacti showing prolific blooms in March. It’s not uncommon for this to happen. In fact, don’t be surprised if you see blooms anywhere from March to May, although usually, these blooms are more sparse than you’ll see around the holidays. The reason is that most holiday cacti bloom more than once a year. Check to see if you see any buds forming between the leaf sections. You can encourage them to bloom using the steps above, or just wait and see what happens!
Enjoy those colorful blooms —any time of year—and share your pictures with us on our Facebook page!
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A older lady past away in my neighborhood and I just received two thanksgiving cactus that she had. I have a problem though, one of the plants the leaves are changing to a reddish color and is wilted. The other is wilting and leaves are dying. The soil is super dense and super wet. The are currently blooming, what can I do to save them?
Hi Emerald, “Red or purple-tinged foliage and wilting are two common symptoms of a magnesium deficiency, which is a common ailment in Christmas cacti. It occurs mainly during the winter months when feeding and watering are restricted and cold temperatures slow the plant’s nutrient uptake. The cactus does best in winter at temperatures around 55 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit. Correcting a magnesium deficiency can be done with Epsom salts. Dissolve 8 heaping tablespoons of Epsom salts in 2 1/2 gallons water, and mix in 1 to 2 drops of dishwashing liquid. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and spritz the tops and undersides of the foliage. Reapply the mixture every two weeks until the foliage returns to its original color.”
These are so easy to propagate. I got my first plant by picking up a stray segment off the floor in a garden centre. It grew very well and now is blooming with lovely rose coloured flowers.
Just let the segment dry out for a couple of days and then stick it in a small pot and water once in a while so it doesn’t shrivel. You can sprinkle it with rooting hormone before planting if you like. If you want more plants, just twist off a segment and stick it in the soil. Cannot get easier than that.
I have the Thanksgiving cactus. I would like to get the Christmas cactus. I can not find the Christmas cactus anywhere. Everyone advertise them as Christmas cactus but its really the Thanksgiving one.
Where can I find the Christmas one?
I av a cactus that was my mothers shes about 50yrs old now. The cactus not my mother haha. She blooms every christmas and easter. I also take cuttings from her every yr and av many all around my home and also gift to family and friends .my mother adored her cactus but unfortunately she ad to go in a retirement home as she is 92 nxt wk and was struggling at home so I inherited my lovley cactus. Shes part of my family .mum too haha.I get soooo much joy out of seeing her every day and think of my mother.she will always grow in our family for generations to come with all the cuttings we get from her x
Best explanation of the differences anywhere. Thank you.
I put mine outside in the spring and bring it in before frost and it blooms right away, I don’t put in in darkness.
I do the same thing. Put it outside on the three season porch during the spring and summer, and take it in just before the first frost in fall. The plant has buds on it before I bring it inside every fall, and the blooms are beautiful.
My plant has Christmas leaves with Thanksgiving blooms. I have had it since 2009. Every year after danger of frost here in Va mine goes outside in practically full sun, then when there is beginning to be frost warnings I bring it back in. I brought it in this past weekend and already it has buds all over which will be opening very soon. I was given this plant when my daughter passed away so it is special to me. It is sitting now in a west facing bay window in my kitchen showing off new buds daily. I have had people say to me, when seeing it outside, that they have never seen one outside and ask if mine blooms. Yes it does soon after it comes back to its window.
I have a Thanksgiving cactus that I’ve had for five years. I get one to two blooms a year after fertilizing. This year, we stuck it in the greenhouse in the Spring. I just brought it in the house (Nov 1) and it is COVERED in buds! Full sun for six months!
Awesome! A few flowers blooming at this time of year is always a great treat!
Can I put my xmas cactus outside in April I live in NC
I live in NC can I put my xmas cactus outside in the last of April
That was very interesting. I didn’t know which cactus I had until now