How to care for holiday cacti

AMES – Holiday cacti, such Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter cacti, are some of the easiest flowering houseplants to grow.

These indoor plants have unique stems composed of flattened leaf-like stem segments called phylloclades. The pink and sometimes white or red flowers are a beautiful addition to the fall and winter seasons.

Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists offer tips for care and address common issues when growing holiday cacti.

Several types of cacti are often referred to as holiday cacti. They all belong to the cactus family (Cactaceae) and the genus Schlumbergera.

Holiday cacti include the Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), the Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera × buckleyi) and the Easter cactus (Schlumbergera gaertneri).

The Thanksgiving cactus is one of the most common and familiar. It blooms from mid-November through late December with white, red, lavender or salmon-orange flowers. Its stem segments have two to four upward-pointing teeth.

The true Christmas cactus, a hybrid from England, blooms from late November to February with rosy-red flowers. Plants have smooth, scalloped stem edges without pointed teeth.

Easter cactus differs from other holiday cacti primarily in its season of bloom, blooming from March through May with pink or red flowers. Plants have smooth stem segments with slight ripples and brown bristles at their tips.

Numerous cultivars and hybrids of holiday cacti are grown. Sometimes, they look and bloom more like Thanksgiving cactus; others may be more similar to Christmas cactus. Some have an intermediate appearance.

Holiday cacti are easy to care for, preferring bright, indirect light and temperatures of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Use well-drained potting soil; no special cactus mix is necessary.

Repot only when plants outgrow their containers, ideally in spring or early summer.

Unlike typical cacti, holiday cacti need consistent moisture while in bud and bloom. Dry conditions may cause buds to drop.

After flowering, reduce watering and place the plant in a cooler area. Allow the soil to dry completely between waterings. Overly wet conditions will cause limp growth and root rot.

Fertilize monthly during the spring and summer. When cared for properly, holiday cacti can live for decades in the home.

To propagate a holiday cactus, remove sections of the plant consisting of two to five flattened stem segments. Cut or pinch off each section at a joint and let the ends callus overnight.

Fill a container with perlite or coarse sand, water it and let it drain. Insert the cut ends about one inch deep, firm the medium around them, and water again.

Place the container in a bright spot, watering when the medium starts to dry out. In six to eight weeks, when roots reach one inch, transplant the cuttings into a pot with a well-drained potting mix.

Holiday cacti need specific conditions to flower. They are short-day plants setting flower buds as the day length gets shorter in the fall.

Holiday cacti also need cool temperatures to set flowers. If exposed to temperatures above 70 F, flower development will be delayed.

By late summer, place the holiday cactus in a cool location (60-65 F at night, slightly warmer during the day) that receives bright light during the day but no artificial light at night.

An unused bedroom or basement may have the proper environmental conditions. The plant can be moved and displayed in another room when the first flowers begin to open.

Any sudden change in environmental conditions can cause flower buds to drop off before opening. Provide good, consistent care during flower bud development.

Avoid excessive watering, allowing the soil to dry out too much, exposure to cold temperatures (such as during transport from store to home), or other marked changes to their growing conditions or care during flower bud development.

If you wish to move the plant to a different room for display, do not move the plant until the first flowers begin to open.