Holiday Cactus Care

We’ll start with the care, since that’s the same across each type!

Holiday Cactus are similar to succulents, in that they enjoy having slightly less water. Check the soil and water when the soil feels dry, but don’t wait for the soil to get bone-dry (like an actual cactus might enjoy!). And like a succulent, after they’ve bloomed, they like to have a break. Reduce watering and halt any fertilizers when they are in the off-season. You can also reduce the sunshine – put another plant in their spot that can use the light. Bright indirect sunshine is ideal for a Holiday cactus, but a Holiday Cactus that isn’t blooming can temporarily tolerate partial light. They are not suited to bright, intense, direct sunlight.

In February or March, bring Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri) back into the brighter light, and apply a Cactus fertilizer. This should encourage it to start blooming again.

In October and November, you can start bringing Thanksgiving Cactus (Schlumgera truncata) and Christmas Cactus (Schlumgera bridgesti) back into the light, applying a Cactus fertilizer as you do so.

The trick with all three is to make sure that you’re not over- or under-watering them. Overwatering can cause them to rot, and under-watering will prevent them from flowering. So, it’s a good idea to water them less in the off-season, and marginally increase the frequency of your watering when you’re trying to get them to bloom, so they get a little nudge in the right direction!

Holiday Cactus Types

We use the term “Holiday Cactus” to refer to the group of novelty plants commonly known as Easter Cactus, Christmas Cactus, and Thanksgiving Cactus, respectfully. These plants are often sold during their corresponding season, and for many they are a feature of the time of year. I had a co-worker at Dutch Growers who had a 90-year-old Christmas Cactus from her grandmother. How amazing is that?! We love a bright, beautiful plant that blooms like clockwork to mark the joys of the season! We also love a Christmas cactus as an alternative to poinsettias – or both, really! – because a Christmas cactus adds a dash of colour in less traditional colours. If your Christmas palette is pink or burgundy – or salmon, coral, or even orange! – consider a collection of Christmas cactuses to brighten up your space.

For the average plant parent, the difference between these three types is not really a concern. Most people can’t really see the difference between the three, and that’s ok! But there are also collectors who know the difference between the three plants and are looking for a particular kind of plant.

The three types typically bloom at different times of year, but Thanksgiving and Christmas cactus are so close together that they have recently become interchangeable at big box stores. Christmas cactus have also become rarer, so Thanksgiving cactus are often sold as Christmas cactus – again, because most people just want something bright and easy to care for!

On the other hand, if you’re like us and a little bit addicted to learning, there are some simple ways to tell the difference between the three.

1. The flower shape.

• The Christmas cactus has an elongated flower which is very tube-like, with two distinct layers of petals.
• The Thanksgiving cactus is also tube-shaped, but the two layers of flowers are a little closer together. The petals are also slightly rounder.
• The Easter cactus flower is quite distinct from the other two, since the flower is fan shaped. The petals are slender and pointed.

2. The leaf shape.

• The Christmas cactus has a slightly scalloped edge that is “boxier”: like a rectangle that’s had its edges rounded. I think of this leaf as “between” a Thanksgiving cactus and an Easter, because it kind of looks like the step between them in a progression (if they were in a really simple Animorphs episode, I guess?!).
• The Thanksgiving cactus leaf is the most distinct, since it has sharp-looking points all along it. While it’s not actually sharp, it definitely looks a bit thorny compared to the other two.
• The Easter cactus has an oval-shaped leaf with a scalloped edge. It certainly has a softer overall appearance than the other two, because the leaf is so round.

I can break this down into three easy steps:

1. Does it have tiny thorn-like projections on the leaf? Yes: Thanksgiving Cactus.
2. Does it have a fan-shaped flower? Yes: Easter Cactus.
3. Does it have neither? Yes: Christmas cactus.

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And that’s how you tell the difference between Holiday Cactus! Enjoy your Holiday Cactuses all year with our comprehensive guide.