While most people think of cacti as desert plants, there are a number which grow as epiphytes in rain forests. Epiphytes are plants which grow on trees but aren't necessarily parasitic and the epyphytic cacti aren't parasites (which means you don't have to worry about a host plant). Many orchids and bromeliads are also epiphytes and epiphytic cacti will grow well with them.

These are generally less fleshy and less spiny than the desert cacti, often with leaf-like stems (none have true leaves). These like organic (usually peat based or similar) compost rather than sand, more water and less light than the desert cacti. Christmas cacti belong to this group.

There are a number of species in the genus Schlumbergera but the best known is S. truncatus. This can be recognized by the tooth-like projections from the edges of the flattened joints (the bits that look like leaves). This naturally has magenta flowers but now there are a number of cultivars with different flower colors. A few decades ago the commonest Christmas cactus was a hybrid called S. 'Buckleri' which didn't have the teath.

Either way, these are fairly easy plants to grow. They will flourish in an east or west facing window (most cacti prefer a south facing window in the northern hemisphere) or under the staging in a glass to ground window. They prefer an organic compost (general purpose potting compost will do) and to be kept on the damp side. A bit of humidity won't hurt either. Feed with general purpose fertilizer. Treat them like the regular house plants.

Flowering is induced by cool conditions and/or short days. In many places you don't have to do anything special to get them to flower but they may not do it at Christmas. The white and yellow flowered cultivars seem to have temperature sensitive red pigment genes so the flower color depends somewhat on temperature.

They (along with other epiphytic cacti) can be grown easily from cuttings, just break off a bit, leave to dry for a couple of days and stick a short way into damp compost.

If you like Christmas cacti and can grow them well, there are many other epiphytic cacti (Epiphyllum, Rhipsalis, Hatiora, etc.) for you to try.

Learn more about this author, Richard Pearman.
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