The plant often called a “Christmas Plant” is usually the Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera), a tropical epiphytic succulent. While Poinsettias are also common during the holidays, they are annuals, whereas the Christmas Cactus is a perennial that can live for decades with appropriate care. This guide focuses on the year-round maintenance required to keep this unique houseplant healthy and ensure its successful re-blooming.
Essential Environmental Needs
The Christmas Cactus originates in the humid, shaded rainforests of Brazil, where it grows on trees or rocks. This habitat dictates its specific care requirements, unlike those of desert cacti. It thrives in bright, indirect light, mimicking the filtered sunlight it receives beneath the rainforest canopy. Placing the plant in an east-facing window or a few feet away from a south- or west-facing window is ideal, as direct, harsh sunlight can scorch the segmented stems and cause a reddish discoloration.
The plant requires more moisture than desert varieties but is highly susceptible to root rot if overwatered. Water thoroughly only once the top one to two inches of soil feel dry to the touch. This fully saturates the root ball while allowing excess water to drain completely, preventing the plant from sitting in soggy conditions.
The correct potting medium requires a well-draining, humus-rich mix for moisture control. A standard potting mix amended with materials like sand, perlite, or orchid bark helps replicate the fast-draining, airy pockets found in its natural environment. The plant generally prefers temperatures between 60 and 70 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is important to keep it away from cold drafts or sudden temperature changes.
Post-Bloom and Active Growth Care
Once the holiday bloom cycle concludes, typically in January, the plant enters a brief resting phase before its active growth period begins. This time is best used for maintenance tasks like pruning and repotting, which prepare the plant for the upcoming season of vegetative growth. Gently removing any spent flowers, known as deadheading, allows the plant to redirect its energy toward new stem growth.
Pruning is recommended to maintain a desirable shape and encourage a bushier structure. To prune, simply twist or pinch off two to three stem segments at a joint, rather than using shears to cut the tissue. This technique encourages new branching at the pinch point, resulting in a fuller plant with a greater number of potential bloom sites.
The active growth period spans from early spring through the late summer months, generally from April to August. During this time, the plant benefits from a regular feeding schedule using a balanced houseplant fertilizer, applied every two to four weeks. Fertilization should be discontinued in late summer to signal the plant to prepare for its fall rest period.
The Christmas Cactus blooms best when it is slightly pot-bound, meaning it generally only needs to be repotted every three to four years. The ideal time for repotting is in the early spring, immediately after the post-bloom rest period and before the new growth begins. When repotting, choose a container only slightly larger than the old one, ensuring it has adequate drainage holes to prevent water retention.
Inducing Re-Blooming
Successfully encouraging re-blooming requires simulating the specific environmental cues of its native habitat, starting in mid-fall. The two most important factors are controlling the photoperiod and managing the temperature, a process that should start approximately eight weeks before you desire flowers. Failure to provide both these specific conditions is the most common reason the plants do not bloom.
The plant is a short-day photoperiodic plant, meaning it needs an extended, uninterrupted period of darkness to set flower buds. Starting around mid-October, the plant must receive 12 to 14 hours of continuous darkness every night for six to eight weeks. Even a brief flash of artificial light, such as a streetlight or television, can disrupt this hormonal process and prevent bud formation.
A practical method to ensure uninterrupted darkness is to place the plant inside a light-proof box or a dark closet each evening and return it to its bright, indirect light location each morning. Simultaneously, cooler temperatures are necessary to induce thermal stress for bud setting. The plant should be kept in a location where the nighttime temperatures consistently drop to between 50 and 60 degrees Fahrenheit during this same six- to eight-week period.
Once small flower buds begin to visibly form at the tips of the segmented stems, usually in late November or early December, the cool, dark treatment can be safely stopped. The plant should then be moved back to its preferred warm, bright location, and the normal watering schedule can be resumed. Avoid placing the plant near drafts or heat sources once the buds have set, as sudden environmental changes can cause the developing buds to drop prematurely.