Few houseplants are as cheerful in the dark months as a holiday cactus. Those bright pink, red, white or orange blooms show up just when the garden outside goes quiet. They’re easy to grow and can live for decades.
There’s one catch. Three different plants get sold under the “holiday cactus” name, and most people don’t know which one they have. I’ll show you how to tell them apart, how to care for each one, and how to get yours blooming again next year.
What Holiday Cacti Are and Where They Come From
Holiday cacti are forest cacti from Brazil that grow on trees, not in deserts. That one fact explains almost everything about their care.
Forest Cacti, Not Desert Cacti
In the wild, these plants are epiphytes. They grow in the forks of trees and on mossy branches in the coastal mountains of Brazil. Their roots cling to bark and decaying leaves instead of sandy ground.
That habitat is shady, humid and mild. Rain falls often, but water drains away fast. So these plants want more water than a desert cactus, more shade and much better airflow around the roots than a typical leafy houseplant.
They also have no sharp spines. What look like leaves are actually flattened stem segments that link together like a chain.
The Three Types at a Glance
All three holiday cacti now belong to the genus Schlumbergera. Each one blooms at a different time of year, which is where the common names come from.
| Common Name | Botanical Name | Segment Shape | Bloom Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Thanksgiving cactus | Schlumbergera truncata | 2 to 4 pointed, claw-like teeth | November |
| Christmas cactus | Schlumbergera x buckleyi | Smooth, rounded, scalloped edges | December |
| Easter cactus | Schlumbergera gaertneri | Rounded with small bristles at tips | March to May |
The bloom times shift a little based on your home’s light and temperature. Still, they’re a reliable starting point for an ID.
What You’ll Need to Grow One
You don’t need special gear. A good-quality indoor potting mix and a bag of perlite cover most of what these plants want at the root level.
Add a pot with drainage holes and a spot with bright, indirect light, and you’re set. A small bag of orchid bark is a nice extra, but it isn’t required.
How to Identify a Christmas Cactus
A true Christmas cactus has smooth, rounded, scalloped segment edges and drooping flowers. It usually blooms around December.
Look at the Stem Segments
Check the edges of each flat segment. On a Christmas cactus, they’re gently scalloped with soft, rounded bumps. You won’t see any sharp points or hooks.
The segment tips look blunt and smooth too. The overall plant has a soft, cascading look, with stems that arch and hang over the pot rim as they get longer.
Check the Flowers and Pollen
Christmas cactus flowers hang down, almost like they’re nodding. They’re tubular with layered petals that flare back at the tips.
The pollen is another clue. Look at the anthers at the end of the long stamens in the center of the bloom. On a Christmas cactus, the pollen is purplish-brown.
Why True Christmas Cacti Are Harder to Find
Schlumbergera x buckleyi is a hybrid that’s been around since the 1800s. Many older plants passed down through families are true Christmas cacti.
Garden centers sell far fewer of them today, since the Thanksgiving type ships and blooms more reliably for growers. If you own an old heirloom plant from a grandparent, there’s a good chance it’s the real thing.
For a complete care rundown on this type, see my christmas cactus care guide.
How to Identify a Thanksgiving Cactus
A Thanksgiving cactus has pointed, claw-like teeth on its segments, upright flowers and yellow pollen. It blooms in November and is the one most often sold as a “Christmas cactus.”
Look for Claw-Shaped Teeth
Run your eye along the edges of a segment. A Thanksgiving cactus has 2 to 4 sharp, pointed teeth on each side. The ones at the tip often curve forward like little claws.
That’s why it’s sometimes called crab cactus. The teeth feel pointy but they won’t hurt you. The segments also tend to look a bit more angular than a Christmas cactus.
Flower Shape and Pollen Color
Thanksgiving cactus flowers stick out more horizontally or point slightly up. They don’t droop the way Christmas cactus blooms do.
The pollen is yellow. Between the claw-shaped teeth and the yellow pollen, you can ID this plant in seconds once it flowers.
Why It’s Sold as a Christmas Cactus
Commercial growers time these plants so they arrive in stores in full bud in late November and December. Labels usually just say “Christmas cactus” or “holiday cactus” because that sells better.
So if you bought yours in a store in the last few years, odds are high it’s a Thanksgiving cactus. Popular named varieties like ‘Christmas Fantasy’ and ‘White Christmas’ are actually S. truncata types.
How to Identify an Easter Cactus
An Easter cactus has rounded segments with small bristles at the tips and star-shaped, daisy-like flowers. It blooms in spring, from about March to May.
Rounded Segments with Bristles
Easter cactus segments are smaller and thicker than the other two. The edges are rounded with shallow bumps, not deep scallops or teeth.
The best clue is at the segment tips and joints. Look for tiny, soft brown bristles. Neither the Christmas nor Thanksgiving type has these.
Star-Shaped Spring Flowers
The flowers are where this plant really stands out. They open wide into flat, star-shaped blooms that look a lot like daisies. They don’t have the tubular, layered shape of the fall bloomers.
Colors run from red and scarlet to pink, lavender, orange and white. The blooms tend to open in daylight and partly close at night.
Why the Name Changed
You may still see this plant labeled Hatiora gaertneri or Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri. Botanists moved it into Schlumbergera after looking more closely at how these plants are related.
The name change doesn’t affect care. But the Easter cactus does need different cues to bloom, and it tends to be a bit fussier than its fall cousins. I’ll cover that in the rebloom section.
Light, Temperature and Humidity Needs
All holiday cacti like bright, indirect light, days between 60 and 70°F, and humidity around 50 percent. Copy their shady forest home and they’ll stay healthy.
Bright, Indirect Light
An east-facing window is ideal. A spot a few feet back from a south or west window also works, especially with a sheer curtain to soften the light.
Direct summer sun is too strong. It can turn segments red, purple or yellowish, and it can scorch them. Winter sun is weaker, so a bit of direct morning light from October through February is fine.
Too little light leads to weak, stretched growth and few buds. If your plant looks pale and flowers poorly, move it closer to a window.
Comfortable Temperatures
Aim for 60 to 70°F during the day. Most homes land right in that range for most of the year.
Avoid hot spots near radiators, heat vents, fireplaces and space heaters. Cold drafts from doors and single-pane windows are just as bad, especially when the plant is in bud.
Holiday cacti can spend summer outdoors in a shady spot. Bring them inside before nights drop below about 50°F, and give them a few days to adjust.
Humidity Without Fuss
Around 50 percent humidity keeps segments plump and buds on the plant. Many homes fall well below that in winter once the furnace runs.
Here are easy ways to add moisture:
- Group your holiday cactus with other houseplants
- Set the pot on a tray of pebbles and water, keeping the pot base above the water line
- Run a small room humidifier nearby
- Keep it in a bright bathroom or kitchen if light allows
Misting doesn’t help much. The water evaporates within minutes.
Watering, Soil and Feeding Holiday Cacti
Water a holiday cactus when the top inch of soil is dry, use a fast-draining mix, and feed lightly from spring through summer. Most problems with these plants start with the watering can.
How to Water
Push your finger about 1 inch into the soil. If it feels dry, water slowly until it runs out the drainage holes. If it feels damp, wait a few more days.
Never let the pot sit in water. Empty the saucer or cover pot about 15 minutes after watering. Soggy roots rot quickly on an epiphyte.
During active growth in spring and summer, that may mean watering about once a week. In fall and winter, the soil dries more slowly, so you’ll water less often.
The Right Soil Mix
These plants need air around their roots, just like they get on a tree branch. Regular potting soil on its own stays too dense and wet. Straight desert cactus mix often goes too far the other way.
My go-to blend looks like this:
- 2 parts indoor potting mix
- 1 part perlite
- 1 part small orchid bark
The bark mimics the woody, leafy debris these plants grow in. It’s a lot like the airy blend I suggest in can i use cactus soil for dieffenbachia, where cactus mix works best as a minor ingredient.
For more on base mixes, see my guide to the best soil for indoor plants.
Feeding Schedule
Feed every 2 to 4 weeks from spring through summer. Use a balanced liquid houseplant fertilizer at half strength.