Christmas Cactus

Submitted by

Mary Lewnes Albrecht,

professor emerita,

Department of Plant Sciences

The popular Christmas cactus is native to South American tropical rain forests and is quite different from desert cacti. Christmas cacti (and related Thanksgiving and Easter cacti) grow in rock crevices and on tree trunks and branches. Leaf litter and other organic matter accumulate in these spaces providing the growing media. This environment also has filtered sunlight and high humidity.

All these cacti are related and named for Belgian horticulturist, Frederick Schlumberger. Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera...