What is a Christmas cactus anyway?
Researching the subject, I found that the plant is properly named Schlumbergera bridgesii. The Easter Cactus /Schlumbergera gaertneri a.k.a. Rhipsalidopsis and Crab Cactus / Schlumbergera truncata a.k.a. Zygocactus, are similar plants with their main differences being in flower colour, and bloom times. To insure Christmas blooms on the Christmas Cactus the plant should be kept at 50-55 degrees F. at night, and receive 12-14 hours of darkness each night for the month of November. Once the Christmas Cactus has set buds the plant should not be moved or the buds may drop. In their natural home in Brazil, these Cacti grow on other plants like many Orchids, but they differ in that they do not take nourishment from the host plant. The Schlumbergera Cacti (named for Frederick Schlumberg), all have similar cultural requirements. They grow upright or spreading with segmented, scalloped edges and spineless, pendant, green flattened stems. The flower, usually red or purple/red, sometimes white, pi
