Holiday Cactus (Zygo Cactus)

So, what is the big difference between Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter cactus? This is a question I am asked frequently during this time of year at holiday shows.

The difference is in the leaf shape. The Thanksgiving cactus has the most rigid edges, while Christmas cacti are more rounded, and then Easter cacti are almost completely rounded. Holiday cacti are some of the prettiest blooms on a houseplant, in my own personal opinion. The blooms come in all different colors and are shaped almost like swans sometimes.

Care:

They prefer a good amount of sunlight or bright indirect light. Sometimes, too much direct sun can burn their leaves. I water mine whenever the top layer of soil is dry (around every ten days to two weeks). They thrive in humidity and sunroom areas during warmer months.

Flowering:

A lot of people say they’ve had the cactus for a while, but it never produces blooms. There are a few different ways people have told me, or I have learned to get it to bloom. Mainly, keep the plant healthy. If the cactus is constantly being overwatered/underwatered and not in the direct sunlight, it’s going to focus on staying healthy rather than producing blooms most of the time.

Other people say they water their cactus four to five times a year, forget about it, and it blooms like clockwork. So sometimes it might just be the luck of the draw! One way to trigger blooming is to place it in a darker and colder spot for a few weeks, then return it to normal lighting.

Reach Out

Contact The Turkey Shed Mercantile on Facebook if you are interested in a holiday cactus. We have multiple varieties available. If anyone ever has specific questions on plants, feel free to message on Facebook as well.