Living Up To Its Name: Christmas Cactus
I’ve always joked with how its green stalks look and it only blooming around Christmas that it must be a Christmas Cactus. Turns out yes, yes it is. I love it when we name things in nature by something someone who is not in know the can just guess what it is.
This plant has always been a little strange in my eyes. Most years it stubbornly will not flower what so ever! Maybe twice every five years it will decide this Christmas is the one!
Usually not the most appealing thing to look at year round.
With Florida having such mild winters as we do it's always amazing having something bloom in December outdoors even more so right around Christmas.
I hope this magical time of the year you were able to bring some happiness to another person’s life and spend it with some family!
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All photos unless otherwise stated taken by @enjar
I love the Christmas Cactus - or Easter Cactus - since, in my experience, a very happy, healthy will actually bloom for both!
Looking at your plant, I have to wonder if you are struggling with fungus gnats...
This past spring, I was given a very large Christmas Cactus. Within hours, I noticed it was being attacked by these tiny insects. I looked all over the web for ways to get rid of those pests and tried most of them. For weeks, it continued to lose its leaves and I was certain it was going to die! Finally, thankfully, the last of the pests died, the plant enjoyed a summer outdoors, but under the shade.
This Christmas, my plant has not yet bloomed, but it looks very healthy with lots of new growth on it. Maybe it will bloom for Easter!
I don’t know much about them since I do not take care of it other than watering it from time to time. Could very well just be a temperature issue. It’s been getting to 50 degrees outdoors during the night. We don’t tend to cover anything unless there is a freezing warning.
It’s also been moved around quite a bit this year. From living indoors to the side yard and then being moved to a screened in area to keep it away from wild life that was eating and trampling over a few things. We have a family of bears that keep walking all over things.
I ised to have a Christmas cactus as well. It was such a treat to have something blooming in the house when it was snpwing outside. Enjoy yours & Merry Christmas!