Christmas cacti have turn out to be synonymous with vacation adorning, and it’s straightforward to see why. They bloom proper once you want colour most and final for many years with some fundamental care. However they’re not the one choice in case you’re searching for festive indoor blooms.
Whether or not you have already got a Christmas cactus and need to broaden your assortment, otherwise you’re searching for one thing a bit completely different, these Christmas cactus options provide related satisfaction with their very own distinctive traits.
Some bloom at completely different instances of yr, others convey completely different colours or textures to the desk, however all of them ship that very same dependable efficiency that makes vacation cacti so beloved.
Thanksgiving Cactus
Many “Christmas” cacti bought in shops are literally Thanksgiving cacti. They appear almost an identical to their December-blooming cousins, which is why the confusion is so widespread. The primary distinction is bloom timing. Thanksgiving cacti flower a number of weeks earlier, often in November reasonably than December.
You possibly can inform them aside by trying on the leaf segments. Thanksgiving cactus segments have pointed, claw-like projections alongside the perimeters, whereas true Christmas cactus segments have extra rounded, scalloped edges.
For care functions, they’re primarily interchangeable. Each favor brilliant oblique gentle, average watering, and the identical temperature and darkness necessities to set off blooming. If you’d like flowers for precise Thanksgiving reasonably than ready till December, that is your plant.
The sooner bloom time of those Christmas cactus options can truly be a bonus. Your plant might be lined in flowers throughout November, providing you with a head begin on the vacation season.
Easter Cactus
Rounding out the vacation cactus trio, Easter cactus blooms in spring reasonably than winter. These vegetation share the identical easy-care nature as their vacation family members however provide a totally completely different bloom schedule that brings colour once you’re craving it after an extended winter.
The flowers are star-shaped and seem in numerous heat shades. They’re simply as profuse as Christmas cactus blooms, overlaying the plant in a spectacular show that may final a number of weeks. The leaf segments are extra rounded than Thanksgiving or Christmas cacti, with mild scalloping reasonably than pronounced factors.
These Christmas cactus options want the identical photoperiod manipulation as different vacation cacti (a number of weeks of darkish nights to provoke bud formation), although the timing shifts to late winter as a substitute of fall. If you happen to love the look of vacation cacti however need flowers at a special time of yr, Easter cactus fills that spring hole superbly.
Kalanchoe
Kalanchoe has that very same explosion of colour you get from vacation cacti, however with a totally completely different development behavior. These compact succulents produce clusters of small flowers in vibrant vacation shades. The blooms final for weeks, and many types rebloom readily in case you present correct care.
Even with out blooms, the thick, shiny leaves are enticing when the plant isn’t flowering, making cute houseplants. Kalanchoe are true succulents that want the soil to dry out between waterings. This makes them extra forgiving of neglect, good for forgetful plant mother and father (like myself) who often miss a watering or two.
Kalanchoe respect brilliant gentle and will bloom extra profusely in sunny areas. They’re not fussy about humidity and tolerate the dry indoor air that many tropical houseplants wrestle with. As soon as the preliminary flowers fade, chopping again the spent blooms typically encourages a second flush.
These Christmas cactus options are sometimes handled as disposable seasonal decorations, however they’ll stay for years with minimal care in case you take care of them.
Moon Cactus
Moon cacti are these impossibly brilliant neon cacti you see at grocery shops and backyard facilities. Sure, those with stunning pink, orange, or yellow tops grafted onto inexperienced bases. They appear nearly synthetic, however they’re actual vegetation with an interesting story.
The colourful prime portion is definitely a singular cactus that lacks chlorophyll and may’t photosynthesize by itself. It’s grafted onto a inexperienced rootstock cactus that does the photosynthesizing for each vegetation. This partnership creates these eye-catching colours you’d by no means see in nature.
Moon cacti are true desert cacti, so they want very completely different care than vacation cacti. Let the soil dry utterly between waterings, present brilliant gentle, and maintain them in heat situations.
The draw back is that moon cacti are comparatively short-lived. However whereas they final, they’re spectacular dialog items that convey that very same festive pop of colour you get from vacation cacti in bloom.
Cyclamen
Cyclamen have butterfly-like flowers that hover above beautiful foliage. These Christmas cactus options bloom prolifically by means of fall and winter, offering months of colour when outside gardens are dormant.
The flowers have swept-back petals that give them a sublime, nearly whimsical look. Some varieties are frivolously aromatic, including one other sensory dimension to their enchantment. The center-shaped leaves typically characteristic silvery patterns that make the plant enticing even between bloom cycles.
Cyclamen favor cool temperatures, which might be difficult in fashionable properties. They’re happiest in rooms that keep between 50°F and 65°F, making them supreme for unheated sunrooms, cool bedrooms, or north-facing home windows. In hotter rooms, they’ll decline shortly and will not rebloom.
Watering requires a lightweight contact. The tubers rot simply if saved too moist, so water from beneath by setting the pot in a saucer of water for 15 to twenty minutes, then eradicating extra. This retains moisture away from the bottom, the place rot sometimes begins.
Poinsettia
Poinsettias are the quintessential vacation plant, and whereas they’re not cacti, they convey that very same seasonal colour affect. The colourful “flowers” are literally modified leaves known as bracts that encompass the tiny true flowers within the middle. These bracts are available conventional purple, but in addition different colours.
Most individuals deal with poinsettias as non permanent decorations and toss them after the vacations. However these vegetation will stay for years and rebloom yearly in case you’re keen to place in a little bit of effort. They want the identical photoperiod therapy as vacation cacti to set off bract coloring.
Poinsettias favor brilliant, oblique gentle and constant moisture. Don’t allow them to dry out utterly or sit in soggy soil, each of which trigger leaf drop. They’re additionally delicate to chilly, so maintain them away from drafty home windows or doorways throughout winter.
Amaryllis
Amaryllis bulbs produce huge, show-stopping flowers on tall stems that appear nearly too dramatic to be actual.
In contrast to most Christmas cactus options on this listing, amaryllis are grown from bulbs that you could retailer and rebloom yr after yr. Plant the bulb in fall, water sparingly till development begins, then watch because the flower stalk shoots up with shocking velocity. Blooms sometimes seem six to eight weeks after planting, making them straightforward to time for particular holidays.
After flowering, the strap-like leaves emerge and photosynthesize to replenish the bulb for subsequent yr’s bloom. Many individuals lower these leaves off too early, weakening the bulb and leading to poor flowering the next yr. Let the foliage die again naturally for greatest outcomes.
Moth Orchid
Phalaenopsis orchids, generally known as moth orchids, produce swish flowers that final for months. The blooms are available seemingly countless colour combos, and a single plant can keep in bloom for 3 months or extra, offering far longer colour than most flowering houseplants.
Moth orchids have a popularity for being fussy, however they’re truly fairly forgiving when you perceive their wants. They like the identical brilliant, oblique gentle as vacation cacti and related temperature ranges. The primary distinction is their rising medium. Orchids want a specialised bark combine reasonably than potting soil.
Watering is simple regardless of the mystique surrounding it. Water totally as soon as per week, letting extra drain utterly. The roots ought to by no means sit in standing water, which causes rot quicker than you’d suppose potential.
After the flowers fade, you possibly can lower the spike again to encourage reblooming or take away it completely. Both approach, the plant will ultimately produce new flower spikes, often a couple of times per yr, with correct care.
Desert Rose
Desert rose vegetation convey sculptural magnificence together with their flowers. The swollen trunk base and twisted branches create bonsai-like kinds which might be enticing even with out blooms. When flowers do seem, they’re tubular and rose-like.
These Christmas cactus options are true succulents from arid areas, so that they want completely different care than vacation cacti. Shiny, direct solar is crucial for flowering, together with heat temperatures and minimal water. The thick trunk shops water, permitting the plant to go weeks between drinks throughout cooler months.
Desert rose received’t bloom always like some vegetation on this listing. They sometimes flower in heat months when days are lengthy and lightweight is intense.