How To Care For a Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus, or Easter Cactus
The Christmas cactus is a long-lasting holiday plant (move over, poinsettias!) that flowers in winter with colorful, tubular flowers in pink or lilac colors. Learn how to care for a Christmas cactus—how much to water this succulent, how to get a Christmas cactus to bloom, and how to propagate for a gift that will give year after year!
About Christmas Cacti
The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera x buckleyi) is a popular houseplant that blooms indoors in the winter, so it’s popular at holiday time and makes a great gift, too. Unlike regular cacti, however, this is not a plant from a dry, hot, desert location. Instead, this is a succulent native to tropical rainforests, where they grow on tree branches and soak up the high humidity, dappled sunlight, and warm temperatures.
The bottom line: Don’t treat a Christmas cactus like a run-of-the-mill cactus! It’s important to water these cacti more regularly but also to be cautious of keeping them too wet. (See detailed care instructions below.)
Holiday Cactus Types
There are three main types of “holiday” cacti out there: the Easter cactus (S. gaertneri), the Thanksgiving cactus (S. truncata), and the Christmas cactus (S. x buckleyi). For simplicity’s sake, we refer to all three species as “Christmas cactus” on this page since the care is the same. See our article on the different types of holiday cacti and how to tell them apart.
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How to Care for Christmas Cacti
- Plan to water every 2 to 3 weeks, but only water when the top one-third of the soil feels dry to the touch. For example, if the plant is in 6 inches of soil, water when the top 2 inches feel dry. (Use your finger to check!)
- When the soil is sufficiently dry, soak the soil until water runs through the pot’s drainage holes. Place a tray underneath the pot to catch the water. After 10-15 minutes, discard any excess water in the tray so that the pot 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. Feed the cactus monthly in the fall and winter to encourage successful blooming.
- Prune plants in late spring to encourage branching and more flowers. Simply cut off a few sections of each stem; the plant will branch from the wound.
- If you wish, place the cut pieces in a lightly moist potting soil—they root easily after a few weeks and make for excellent Christmas presents!
How to Get Your Christmas Cactus to Bloom
The blooms of Christmas cacti and its relatives are triggered by the cooler temperatures and longer fall nights. The three main types of holiday cacti generally bloom according to this schedule:
- Thanksgiving cacti are the earliest and longest bloomers, typically producing flowers from late fall through mid-winter.
- Christmas cacti tend to bloom from early winter to mid-winter.
- Easter cacti bloom from late winter to mid-spring.
If your cactus is NOT blooming, it may be receiving too much light or too high temperatures. Here are some tips to encourage yours to produce flowers!
- To trigger blooming, nights need to be at least 14 hours long and days between 8 to 10 hours for at least six weeks. If you have strong indoor lighting that’s on at night, you may need to cover your cactus or move it to an area that’s exposed to the natural light cycle.
- Flower buds form best when the plant is kept in temperatures between 50 and 60°F (10 and 15°C).
- You can kickstart the budding process by exposing the plant to temperatures of about 45°F (7°C) for several nights in a row.
- Make sure that you are consistent with watering while the plant is in flower. If the plant dries out too much, it may drop its buds.
- If the cactus sheds its buds one winter, don’t worry: it should bloom the following year!
There are three main types of “holiday cacti” available:
- Thanksgiving cacti (Schlumbergera truncata) bloom from late fall to mid-winter and are often mislabeled as Christmas cacti.
- Christmas cacti (S. x buckleyi) bloom from early winter to mid-winter.
- Easter cacti (S. gaertneri) bloom from later winter to mid-spring.
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When the flowers start wilting, should I pick them off or let them fall off by themselves.
When is a good time to repot the Christmas plant.
Hi Jean,
Late winter or early spring is the best time to repot a Christmas cactus. You want to wait until the blooming period has ended and the flowers have wilted. You never want to repot when the plant is actively blooming. One thing to know is that Christmas cactus like to be pot bound and should only be repotted every 3 or 4 years when roots begin to grow through its pot’s drainage holes or flower production has diminished from the previous year.
I've had luck moving my Christmas cactus into total darkness, not watering
for 30 days before returning to light. This is a large plant and has
not bloomed for 2 years. I tried moving it to the screened porch this
year. Still try the total darkness?
Half of my large Christmas cactus have very limp leaves
Hi Alma,
Christmas cactus store water in their stems and when there is a lack of water available, the stems can become deflated or limp. When a Christmas cactus is dehydrated, the leaves shrink because the plant does not have enough water to store in its reserves.
While it is a cactus, this plant is native to tropical rainforests and its important to water them more regularly. Just be sure not to water your Christmas cactus excessively because it does not do well with too much water. Limp stems can also be a sign of excess water, which can lead to root rot. If you feel that your plant has received too much water or the water is simply not draining from the growing medium, you can remove it from the pot and examine the roots. If all looks well, replant it in new growing medium and a new container and resume a regular watering schedule.
About a month ago I repotted my Christmas cactus… it was a very green & healthy looking plant. Now it’s droopy & a little pale. What can I do to get my plant back to looking healthy again?
Just received small start of cactus.
It is beginning to put out green at proper sections.
What should I be doing now September 24, 2024.
I have it on my covered porch. Zone 7. West TN
Light water, fertilize, ?
Thank you. God Bless
Hi Bea, Thanks for your note! It sounds like your cactus is doing great! You’ll want to take it inside soon. A daytime temperature of 70°F (21°C) and an evening temperature of 60-65°F (15-18°C) is preferred.
As we recommend in the article, you’ve got it exactly: water lightly and fertilize monthly. Sounds like you’ll be blooming for Christmas!
—The Editors
My Christmas cactus is dropping leaves/stems. It was on the back porch which was hot from our very hot summer. I moved it inside to about a 73-74 degree regular temperature. I try to water regularly when I feel the soil dry. Would the dropping leaves be from stress, too much heat, over watering or under watering? Thank you.
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