Schlumbergera

( schlum - ber - JEER - uh )

At-A-Glance Information

This genus of cacti need partial shade or bright indirect light and regular water. These plants are famous for their profuse, colorful flowers that bloom over the winter holiday season.

Schlumbergera Species and Varietals

These plants grow best in zones 16, 17, 21-24, H1 and H2. To find your zone, click here: Zone Map.

Schlumbergera x buckleyi (Schlumbergera bridgesii) (Christmas Cactus)
Gets 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide. Branches have an arching form and are made up of bright green, flat joints. It can produce hundreds of purple-red flowers towards the end of December. To ensure buds will set and bloom, give it cooler nighttime temperatures (50-55 degrees Fahrenheit). To get a great bloom at the end of December, ensure the plant receives about 12-24 hours of darkness per day during the month of November.

Schlumbergera truncata (Crab Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus)
This plant is native to Brazil, and gets to 1 foot tall and 2 feet wide. Stems consist of joints that are bright green and armed with two teeth at the end of each branch. Flower colors come in white, pink, salmon and orange.

Caring for Name

They need rich, porous soil (equal parts coarse sand, peat moss, and leaf mold). Feed these cacti with liquid fertilizer every 7-10 days during growth and blooming periods.