Every plant shop soon will have displays full of fun and festive holiday plants such as poinsettias, Norfolk pine and Christmas cactus. These plants are perfect for gift-giving. Consumers purchase them more than any other plants at this time of year. The retail stocking of these plants is a seasonal, consumer-driven decision, but they can be enjoyed all year with a little bit of care and consideration.
Two years ago, I wrote an article all about the poinsettia plant — its history, Lowcountry ties and how to care for it year-round. I still stand the statement that poinsettias are plants, not holiday trash. If you’re gifted one this year or buy one to add to your collection, I encourage you to read the article and love-on-it all year long.
The Christmas cactus, also known as the holiday cactus or Thanksgiving cactus, is a unique-looking cactus without thorns and with a draping growing habit. Colorful blooms burst from the tips of its unique leaf-like pads. Interestingly, these cacti originated as epiphytes and lithophytes in the Brazilian rainforest. Epiphytes are plants that grow on trees without soil, such as orchids, air plants and Spanish moss. Lithophytes grow in the crevices of rocks. It’s hard to imagine these lush colorful plants hanging in the trees or emerging in cracks, but I bet it is a beautiful sight.
Most plants that we bring into our homes are tropical plants, and our job as plant parents is to re-create their native habitats to the best of our ability. This means doing our best to match the lighting, soil, watering and humidity conditions so that the plant can thrive far outside of its native zone. Don’t worry too much about matching the Christmas cactus conditions exactly, as the ones you purchase likely have been cultivated to withstand unsavory conditions and a fair amount of neglect.
Caring for your holiday cactus all year is pretty simple. These plants can can live up to 30 years if you consider the following:
Lighting should be bright and dappled, resembling light filtering through trees.
Because this cactus hails from tropical Brazil, keep your plant in a warm spot, but be sure the light is dappled so you don’t burn its leaves.
The tropics have a lot of air moisture, so unlike other cacti from the desert, this plant needs humidity. Try a humidifier, and put other humidity-loving plants next to it.
These are best to plant in a terracotta pot with a drainage hole. Terracotta pulls away water so that the plant doesn’t get overwatered. Water thoroughly, and let it run through the drainage hole. Let it dry out completely between waterings.
Epiphytes and lithophytes require little to no soil. Scientists have cultivated these cacti to be potted indoor plants. So keep the soil light and airy.
Only repot every few years. These plants love being tight in their pot just like in between the cracks of rocks.
Fertilize once in spring then again in summer. If you want to go all out and force the blooms, try giving it 12 hours of darkness each day starting in fall.
Sharing is caring, and it’s super easy to propagate and share your holiday cactus. To do so, wait until after blooming is finished for the season then make cuttings that have four-to-five leaf segments. Place the segments in a jar with about two inches of filtered water. Watch for root growth, and then when roots are about two inches long, it’s ready to be planted in soil.
Toni Reale is the owner of Roadside Blooms, a unique flower, plant, crystal, rock and fossil shop in Park Circle in North Charleston.
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