The Holiday Cactus Story: Root an Heirloom to Share This Season
Almost every family seems to have one. A big, cascading holiday cactus that has lived on Grandma's windowsill for as long as anyone can remember, and somehow still blooms bright pink right on time every year. Some of these plants have been passed down for generations. The best part is that sharing one takes nothing more than a few segments and a little patience.
From Brazilian cloud forests to your windowsill
Despite the name, the holiday cactus is not a desert plant at all. It comes from the cool, misty coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil, where it grows on tree branches and mossy rocks in the shade of the forest. The genus, Schlumbergera, is named after Frédéric Schlumberger, a 19th century French cactus collector. That forest home explains a lot. It likes bright, indirect light, regular water, and decent humidity, not baking sun.
It also explains the blooming trick. Shorter days and cooler nights in fall tell the plant it is time to set buds. That is why October is when you start to see little pink tips forming.
Thanksgiving or Christmas?
Take a close look at the leaf segments. Pointed, claw shaped edges usually mean a Thanksgiving cactus (Schlumbergera truncata), which tends to bloom in November. Rounded, scalloped edges point to a true Christmas cactus, which blooms a few weeks later. Most plants sold in stores today are actually Thanksgiving types. Either one roots the same way.
Rooting a piece to share
- Twist off a piece two or three segments long at a joint. If your plant is budding now, choose pieces without buds so you keep the show going.
- Let the end dry for a day or two so it seals over.
- Give the end a light dip in Hormex Rooting Powder #1 and tap off the extra. A 0.75 oz jar goes a very long way.
- Set the piece upright, about one segment deep, in a light, gritty mix such as cactus soil with a little extra perlite.
- Keep it in bright, indirect light and lightly moist, never soggy.
In a few weeks you should feel a gentle tug that means roots are forming. Plant three or four rooted pieces together in a small pot for a fuller look.
The classic time to take cuttings is late spring after flowering, but holiday cactus roots well indoors any time of year. Start a few now, and you could have small potted starts ready to hand out by the end of the year, maybe with a little note about whose windowsill the original came from.
Happy rooting from the Hormex family.
