Growing Christmas Cactus

How To Care For Christmas Cacti, Thanksgiving Cacti, and Easter Cacti

By The Editors

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Age-Old Wisdom meets Modern Tools

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Christmas cacti are a very popular houseplant—and for good reason! When they bloom, they produce colorful, tubular flowers in pink or lilac colors. Their beautiful flowers, long bloom time, and easy care requirements make them a wonderful plant. We’ll bet someone in your family has a Christmas cactus!

Unlike many other cacti, Christmas cacti and their relatives don’t live in arid environments. Their natural habit is one of an epiphyte living in tree branches in the rain forests of Brazil! In other words, they prefer a humid climate, not a dry one, so it’s important to water these cacti more regularly than most succulents. (See more details below.)

How to Tell Holiday Cacti Apart

There are several types of holiday cacti: Easter, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. They typically bloom closest to the holiday that they’re named after. For simplicity’s sake, we refer to all three as “Christmas cacti” in the Planting and Care sections of this page.

To tell the three cacti apart, pay attention to their leaf shapes and flowers:

Christmas cacti have flattened leaves with rounded teeth on the margins of the leaves.
Thanksgiving cacti have flattened leaves with pointed teeth.
Easter cacti also have flattened leaves with rounded teeth, but their flowers are broader and almost daisy-like, whereas the flowers of the other cacti are more tube-shaped.

To confuse matters further, most of the Christmas cacti sold are actually Thanksgiving cactus. If you find your Christmas cactus blooming near Thanksgiving, guess what?

Planting

Christmas cacti grow well in most container soils, as long as it drains well. Make sure that your pots have drainage holes.
Plants should be kept in bright, indirect light.
A daytime temperature of 70°F (21C) and an evening temperature of 60-65°F (15-18°C) is preferred.
In the summer, Christmas cacti can be placed in a shady spot in the garden or in an unheated porch until temperatures get below 50°F (10°C).

Care

As soon as the top inch of soil in the container feels dry to the touch, soak the soil until water runs through the pot’s drainage holes; discard water in the tray so the plant doesn’t sit in water. It’s especially important to water well while the plant is flowering.
From spring through early fall, feed every 2 weeks with a balanced houseplant fertilizer. During the fall and winter, feed the cactus monthly.
Prune plants in June to encourage branching and more flowers. Simply cut off a few sections of each stem. If you wish, place the cut pieces in moist vermiculite to make more plants—they root easily.
If your cactus is not blooming, it may be due to the amount of daylight they’re getting or the temperature.
- To trigger blooming, nights need to be at least 14 hours long and days between 8 to 10 hours for six weeks. If you have strong indoor lighting at night, you may need to cover your cacti.
- Flowers will only form when the temperature is between a cool 50 to 55°F (10 to 13°C).
If the cacti sheds its buds one winter, don’t worry: it should bloom the following year.

Pests/Diseases

Blossom drop: If your Christmas cactus is exposed to any type of stress, the plant will likely drop its blossoms. This could be related to the amount of light, or a sudden change in temperature, as discussed in above plant care section. Also, ensure that your soil doesn’t get too dry while buds are forming.

The plant may be susceptible to mealy bugs and, if over-watered, root rot. If you have problems, cut out infected areas and repot in clean soil.

Recommended Varieties

There are three main types of “holiday cacti” available:

Thanksgiving cacti, which bloom in late fall, are often mislabeled as Christmas cacti.
Christmas cacti bloom in early winter.
Easter cacti bloom in mid-spring.

Wit & Wisdom

When the buds of a Christmas cactus look as if they’re about to open, make sure you water the plant regularly and keep it cool.
Late spring is the best time to propagate cuttings because most holiday cacti emerge from their winter rest and initiate new growth.

A giant Thankgiving cactus in bloom. Photo by Catherine Boeckmann.

Reader Comments

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Christmas cactus

If twirling branching leaves can out put them in water and get it to sprout and put in dirt to regrow

Authentic Christmas Cactus

Where can I but am Authentic Christmas Cactus in this day and age?

CHRISTMAS CACTI??

I have several supposedly Christmas Cacti - Flat, sharp points. Two are planted in one pot, one in a single pot. In past years all three have bloomed at Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. This year they had a few blooms at Easter and that's been it! No sign of any blooms. This is the first year that's happened. They haven't been moved, watered any less or more, etc. Why aren't they blooming?

Re-potting an old Christmas Cactus

I have a Christmas Cactus that I inherited from my mother-in-law. To my knowledge this plant has been in the family for a long time. We are guessing 75+ years! The pot it is in is the same pot that it has been for 34 years. Should I re-pot it?

Gray spots on leaves?

I have two cactuses that I have had several years now. They bloom at a variety of times, SoI have no idea what they are. They seem to like the neglect they get at my house ( I usually can kill houseplants!). But last couple years they have started getting gray spots on a lot of the leaves.. kind of look like dried out spots. They are in a east window, and do get a lot of morning sunshine, but I have small condo and no other place they can go. I did have a mini-split Air conditioning/ heating system added three years ago, and it is possible the living room unit may blow on these plants. Could this be the reason for the spots? I have no idea what to do. I can’t move the plants. I have changed general fertilizer to one for suculents, and plants look a bit happier. I have also been using a spray bottle to spray water on the leaves occasionally, not sure if that is helping or not. Any suggestions as to what is happening?

Christmas Cactus

I have a Christmas Cactus that is full of ready to bloom flower buds. Beautiful fushia color. The send bloom this year. Love this plant.

Cat keeps eating it!

I have had my cacti for about a decade and they were doing well until my cat decided that they are his favorite mid-meal snack. Any tips on how to get my cat to stop eating it? And do I need to cut off the buds that have his teeth marks in them?

Love this article

I have been growing Thanksgiving cacti for years, propagating them and trying to have every color out there. I also have a very old (probably 60 years) Christmas Cacti that my grandmother owned and have been a little successful in propagating that as well. I appreciate that you mentioned there are differences between the Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti as everyone now labels the Thanksgiving Cactus as a Christmas Cactus and there are differences as you stated. Article is very informative as well and spot on.

christmas cactus

My cactus has some branches that have turned red (purple) and limp. What am I doing or what is happening?

Watering

Overwatering is the likely culprit. Let the plant dry out a bit more between waterings. It could also be caused by too much direct sunlight. Keep it in a spot that gets bright but indirect light.

drooping

My beautiful plant had many blooms on it... unfortunately, while i was at work, the temperature dropped quite quickly and now the stems are all wilted... will it come back?? what do i need to do to save it??

Christmas Cactus with Wilted Leaves

Unfortunately, Christmas cacti are not very tolerant of cold temperatures and extreme temperature changes, so yours may have a hard time recovering. The best you can do now is to keep it in a warm place with bright, indirect light and care for it normally. Make sure it is kept moist but not wet—overwatering can cause wilting, too.

While you wait for the plant to recover, perhaps you should try to start a new plant from one of its branches?

Buds are drying out and breaking off before they bloom.

I got my plant in the fall, it looked very healthy and full of little buds. Before they could blossom, they all dried up and fell off. I don’t think I overwater, have followed instructions. Why does this happen, how can I fix it??

Christmas Cactus Bud Drop

Bud drop is a common problem with Christmas cacti. Sudden changes in temperature, lighting, and watering can cause it to occur, so even the act of bringing it home from the store and into a new environment could have set it off. Now that the plant has adjusted to its new home, it shouldn’t drop its buds, as long as its care is kept consistent.

christmas cacti or easter cacti

I received this in spring and it was blooming, has pointed edges, not round. Not a Christmas
cactus? Also one morning I found an entire branch that had fallen off, no one was around it.
What would cause that? Although I have followed instructions well, it seems a bit slow to
grow, and will it bloom Easster. A couple tiny buds are there. Many sites give different
directions.

Christmas Cactus

I just purchased my first small Christmas Cactus. It came in a 4inch pot. I'd like to replant it in a bigger pot. What type of soil should I use for best results?

Christmas Catus

Fronds are limp and pale in color--what is my problem?

limp and pale

It sound like too little water and/or too much direct sunshine. Is it planted in cactus soil (a special mix); you could try that as it better controls the moisture than traditional potting soil. And remember, though it is a cactus, it comes from the humid forests of Brazil, where it lives epiphytically on tree branches, meaning that it doesn’t sit in water, but doesn’t get bone-dry either.

Water it a little and gradually a little more. Do not soak it. And allow it to dry out between waterings. Too much moisture in the soil will cause the plant to rot (leaves will drop). Water sparingly but consistently in fall and winter, and keep it out of direct sunlight, just give it bright, indirect sunlight.

Mixing Christmas Cactus

Can you mix Holiday, Christmas, Thanksgiving or Easter Cactus plant in same pot?

Christmas cactus

I have a Christmas cactus that is about 20 years old. The fronds have started falling off at the soils top level. The fronds are 10-12 inches long. There are new shoots forming in the old wood of the remaining fronds. It seems the fronds mostly fell of half of the plant. It sits between my kitchen and dining room, getting indirect light.

Christmas Cactus

I live in southwest Florida. Can my Christmas cactus be planted outside? They do fine out on my front screened porch, but I wondered about planting them in a fairly shaded area outside.

Planting Christmas Cacti Outside

In theory this could work; the only thing that might be an issue is water. Christmas cacti like warm, humid, shady environments, but will not tolerate being over- or underwatered. So if you do plant them outside, make sure you place them in an area where the soil doesn’t completely dry out nor stay wet for too long. Good luck!

broken Christmas cactus

Can it be saved? It was large and now I have seven different sections, what do I need to do?

Christmas Cactus Cuttings

If the sections have roots already, they can be replanted. If not, their stem ends should be placed in slightly moistened soil, sunk about an inch or so into the soil. After about six weeks, they should have roots and can be transplanted to larger pots.

Christmas Cactus

Can i re pot a limb that has fallen off?

C i repot limbs that have fallen off?

Christmas Cactus

I purchased 2 baby size Christmas Cacti 4 years ago. I planted them in the enclosed pots and fed and watered the way my mom did hers years ago. Mine have not grown at all in 4 years. A couple of the end leaves will shrivel and fall off then a couple of new ones will emerge. I remember my mom saying they are one of the few plants that have to get rootbound before growing. Is this true? Should I replant both of them in the same small pot?

Christmas Cacti Conundrum

Christmas cacti don’t need to be pot bound to grow, though they do prefer it. Your cacti’s lack of growth probably boils down to an issue with either light or water, however.

Christmas cacti like bright, indirect light, so an eastern window is ideal. Keep them out of direct, intense sunlight, as this can burn their leaves.

As for water, these cacti are a tropical species, so they require more water than the usual cacti. That said, they don’t like to sit in water, so use a well-draining potting mix (such as a succulent mix) and a pot with drainage holes. Water when the top inch or so of soil is dry.

Your best course of action would be to repot both cacti in a well-draining potting mix in separate pots with drainage holes, then see if they do any better than they are now!

How often do the cactu need to be repotted; mine are root bound,

I have never fed mine, how much food do they require?

Christmas cactus

are they poisonous to cats? the Amaryliss? What plants are poisonous? What are safe...indoor plants...indoor cats

Cacti Toxicity

Christmas cacti are not toxic to dogs or cats, but Amaryllis are. Here are some common plants that are unsafe for pets: https://www.almanac.com/content/plants-are-poisonous-pets