Thanksgiving Cactus or Christmas Cactus?

The beautiful holiday cacti are arriving in the greenhouse.  These colorful plants are a popular holiday tradition, and we have many customers who've passed cuttings down from generation to generation. If properly cared for, your holiday cactus can live for up to 100 years!

We get lots of questions about the difference between the Thanksgiving Cactus and the Christmas Cactus, so we thought we'd answer some FAQs for you.

Thanksgiving Cactus  Schlumbergera truncata 

• The leaves are broad and look pointy or serrated with 2-4 spines on each side.

• They are sometimes called a crab claw cactus because of their pointy appearance.

• The buds on the Thanksgiving cactus appear in late fall and open around American Thanksgiving. Their blooms come in a wide range of colors including coral, pink, red and purple. The flowers grow horizontal to the stems and have yellow anthers.

Christmas Cactus  Schlumbergera bridgesii

• The leaves are more delicate and have a soft, scalloped edge. 

• The buds on the Christmas cactus usually appear in November and bloom over Christmas. Their blooms come in mostly pink, red, white and yellow.  The flowers are drooping with purple-brown anthers.

Here at Spruce It Up, we carry the Thanksgiving cactus.  That's because the Christmas cactus has more delicate, breakable foliage and doesn't hold up well when being shipped, so it isn't readily available. 

The care for a Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus is the same. They do best in bright, indirect light. Make sure to protect them from direct rays in the warmer, sunnier months.  Water them thoroughly when the soil is almost completely dry.  You can deadhead your cactus when it's blooming to encourage more flowers.  When the blooming period is over, they need a time of rest. Just continue with their regular watering routine and prune them if you like.

If your Cactus isn't blooming, it may need some help to begin the dormancy cycle to encourage buds to form.  

You'll need to follow these 3 steps, about 4-6 weeks before you want your cactus to bloom.

1. Cut down on watering. 

2. Give your cactus 12 hours of dark and 12 hours of indirect sunlight each day.

3. Keep it somewhere cool. Temperature should be approximately 15°C.

One way to do this is to put your cactus in a dark closet from 6pm-6am or cover it with a large paper bag for the same period of time. 

As soon as you see buds emerge, you can resume normal care.

We have a great selection of Thanksgiving cactus in the greenhouse right now, from 2-inch pots to big hanging baskets.  

Stop by soon and pick up one of these beauties. They are sure to brighten up your Christmas and continue to look great all year long.