Varieties of Christmas Cactus you can grow to add color to your homes during the holidays
The Schlumbergera genus is very large and includes a large variety of plants known as "holiday cacti" because their flowering periods coincide with some of the most important holidays on the calendar. In fact, there are varieties that bloom during the Easter period, others that flower during Thanksgiving and finally, there are the Christmas Cacti, whose spectacular flowering cheers up our homes during the Christmas holidays.
Originally from tropical forests, this plant does not like dry conditions. It is a plant that is incredibly simple to grow, even for beginners. Today, the Christmas cactus is characterized by its incredibly colorful blooms, which add liveliness and joy to our holiday decorations and it will be easy to find one that will suit your tastes.
Let's discover here together the main and most beautiful varieties of Christmas cacti:
The two main groups of Schlumbergera
The different species of Schlumbergera can be divided into two main groups:
- Truncata: deriving mainly from S. truncata, these are mainly Thanksgiving cacti, which have sharp protrusions on the stems and whose flowers appear in the month of November;
- Buckleyi: deriving mainly from S. russelliana, they are characterized by stems that have more rounded protrusions and symmetrical flowers that last longer than those of the previous group and appear during the Christmas holidays. And obviously, it's this group that is used to decorate the house during the Christmas holidays.
1. Schlumbergera brigdesii
This variety is also known as the New Christmas cactus because it is the most recent hybrid; it blooms at the end of December and throughout the month of January and its blooms can be pink, red, orange and white; it prefers shaded and warm areas. These plants do not like stagnant humidity and therefore must be planted in well-draining soil.
2. Schlumbergera Christmas Fantasy
Schlumbergera Christmas Fantasy is one of the most fascinating varieties with its salmon-colored or light pink flowers; it is a hybrid of the Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus and its leaves actually resemble the former of the two, but the flowering time is the end of December, as is typical for all varieties of Christmas cacti.
3. Schlumbergera Gold charm
Schlumbergera Gold Charm is a variety from the Brazilian tropical forest, characterized by its showy trumpet-shaped flowers in a bright golden yellow colour, which turns pink if the temperature drops below 13 degrees C. It requires a very bright place with indirect sunlight as well as moderately moist soil at all times.
4. Schlumbergera buckleyi
Empereur Day/Wikimedia Commons
Also known as the True Christmas Cactus, this variety is a hybrid between S. truncata and S. russelliana that grows wild in the tropical forests of South America. It prefers shaded areas and in the house, the ideal place will be on a window facing east. Its flowers bloom from mid-November to February and have a characteristic pink color and the shape of a trumpet.
5. Schlumbergera russelliana
Cola borator/Wikimedia Commons
Characterized by notches along the edges of its green stems, S. russelliana is a highly ornamental species, producing stunning, long, pink flowers from mid-November and into early winter. It requires lots of indirect sunlight and slightly cooler temperatures than the other varieties.
Which of these is your favorite variety?
