This is a Christmas Cactus. It is an unusual plant in a couple of ways.
Perhaps the first thing you'll notice is that it is sprouting flowers.
While it isn't unusual for cactus plants to flower, it is uncommon for any plant to flower this late in the year.
As you can see in the pics, it doesn't just flower, but it pops out in the two most notable colors associated with Christmas.
This plant is called the Christmas Cactus because it flowers like this once a year...at the end of November heading into December. The flowers will continue to bloom until just after Christmas, and by the New Year, it will shed all flowers and await its glorious moment the following year.
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Hi @justusagenstum
Very nice photos and interesting post and comments from @haphazard-hstead.
Today I learned something new
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Thank-you. I will take a look through your guidelines. Appreciate the resteem!
You're welcome! And thanks for your sharing your gardening content!
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Thank-you! :)
Your holiday cactus is certainly happy under your care! What a beautiful set of flowers! The pointy edges of the green stems suggests to me that your plant is a Thanksgiving cactus, Schlumbergera truncate. The real Christmas cactus is in the same genus, but is a different species, Schlumbergera russelliana. I made a recent post that explained the difference.
Here are two ways that you can tell the difference between them:
But with so many young buds still coming on, you will be enjoying your cactus on Christmas, no matter which one it is. Put an ornament or bow on it, and it will be a Christmas cactus, for sure! ;D
Thank-you for correcting that for me...TIL I probably need to do my own research before posting instead of listening to others about the plants they keep in their house...LOL
This is at my Mother's house, my sister gave it to her as a gift last year...I just went with what I was told...which is never a good thing, even from family.
Your mother deserves some congratulations on how well her plant is doing! If she has any advice to pass along, I could use some -- I may know how to identify Thanksgiving cactus, but my own is not looking nearly as nice as your Mother's, lol! I have been looking for Christmas cactus to buy one, but they are not as popular. I think because the ones in bloom sell better before Christmas, while everyone is getting in the spirit.
She says she basically keeps it outside Spring, Summer, and Fall (she lives in North Carolina so the weather permits this). She keeps it on a covered porch on the north side of the house out of direct sunlight. She waters it once a week, and brings it in before the first frost. Other than that she replants it once a year in a bigger container and lets it grow. Hope this helps!
Thanks for those details. She is obviously doing the right things!
I have one and it isn't blooming...I wonder why.
Well, as it turns out...this is a Thanksgiving Cactus...according to a link in an earlier reply to this post, which means it blooms at the end of November through December...if you have an actual Christmas Cactus it might not begin to bloom until the 3rd week of this month.
crosses fingers I would love to see mine bloom.