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AR Gardener Magazine Articles
Schlumbergera truncata, Crab Cactus
The holidays are fast approaching. From gift buying to seasonal decorating,
there is much to be done. Consider a plant that does both it is a great gift,
and it adds beauty to the home. An added benefit, is with just a little care, it
will bloom every year. The holiday cactus commonly called Thanksgiving or
Christmas cactus is an easy plant to grow and enjoy.
The plant most commonly sold during the holidays is Schlumbergera truncata
(formerly the Zygocactus). Common names include crab cactus for its claw like
leaf margins, Thanksgiving cactus (if it is blooming in November) and Christmas
cactus (if it is blooming in December). Regardless of what you call it, given
the proper care, it will bloom for a long time indoors.
Schlumbergera are true cacti. This family of cacti are epiphytic plants,
native to the South America's. Epiphytes are plants that root and perch on other
plants or nonliving objects. In its native Brazil, you will find it growing in
the rain forest, perched on trees or shrubs, or sometimes in shady places among
rocks--sharing space with orchids and bromeliads.
The holiday cactus plants have wide, flat, segmented leaf-like branches and
produce colorful multi-petaled flowers. The flowers can be three inches or more
in length and come in a wide variety of colors: red, purple, peach, orange,
pinks and creams. Most holiday cacti now in cultivation are hybrids, and can
bloom over an extended period of time.
If you buy a plant with buds on it, avoid transporting it outdoors for too
long especially if it's cold outside. Extremes in temperatures can cause the
flower buds to drop. Likewise, once you have it in your home, give it a bright
location, free from drafts, and avoid excess heat. All of these conditions can
cause the flower buds to drop. Allow the soil to dry out slightly between
watering you don't want waterlogged roots. When the plants begin to bloom, the
flowers will last longer if they are kept slightly on the cool side.
If you already own some of these cacti, and you want them to bloom again,
they need benign neglect each fall. This holiday cactus has temperature and
light requirements for setting flower buds. This requirement is labeled as
thermo-photo-periodic. The secret of good blooms is proper temperature and light
control. They will develop buds and bloom best under short day conditions less
than 12 hours of sunlight, and night temperatures less than 70 F,( preferably
between 55 and 65 F.) If they are left outdoors in the fall, they will get the
shorter days and cooler temperatures naturally, and set lots of flower buds all
on their own. All you have to provide is the water. If the temperature is lower
than 55- 60 F, plants set flower buds regardless of the length of the day or
night. This can explain the phenomenon of them blooming again later in the
winter if you keep a really cool house. Although they like it cool, they won't
survive freezing temperatures. After exposure to either cool temperatures, or
short days and cool temperatures for six weeks, your plant should be covered in
flower buds. You don't have to move this plant into a dark room each night, like
you would a poinsettia, but if you have it in your family room, and the lights
are on each evening, and the temperature stays pretty constant, your plant will
rarely see any flowers. If this is the situation at your home now, and since we
are into November, it is too late to move it outdoors at this point to induce
blooms without fear of frost. Your best bet would be to move it into the coolest
room in your house, then wait the six weeks. With luck you should still have
some of the most interesting flowers to brighten your interior winter landscape.
There are other species of Schlumbergera, including Schlumbergera x buckleyi.
This plant is considered the true Christmas cactus. It has rounded leaf margins,
as opposed to the crab like appendages of S. truncata. It is also more finicky
about setting flower buds, so it can be a bit more difficult to get to re-bloom
each season.
All of these holiday cactus plants are old-fashioned favorites. Pieces of the
plants, which propagate readily, have been passed around between family members.
With the ease of production, coupled with new hybrid plants, these plants are
everywhere now, making them readily available to all gardeners. With a
beautiful, reliable flower each fall or winter, every home should have several.
This story first appeared in the
AR
Gardener Magazine.
By: Janet Carson
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