Pocket BotanistPlant guide
Christmas cactus.
Schlumbergera × bridgesii
Pronounced shloo-mber-GAIR-uh buck-LEE-eye
Also known as Schlumbergera × bridgesii
This festive succulent is a favorite for its beautiful, pendulous blooms that arrive right around the holidays. It is actually an epiphyte from the Brazilian rainforest, so it prefers different conditions than your typical desert cactus. With the right care, these plants can live for many decades and become quite large.
At a glance
- Care level
- Easy
- Plant type
- Epiphytic succulent
- Light
- Bright indirect light, avoid harsh afternoon sun.
- Indoor light
- bright-indirect
- Water
- Every 7 to 14 days
- Mature size
- 30 to 60 cm tall and wide
- Growth rate
- medium
- Hardiness
- USDA 10 to 12
- Bloom time
- Late autumn to mid-winter
Care
Keep the soil consistently moist but never soggy, and ensure the pot has excellent drainage. To encourage blooming, provide the plant with cooler temperatures and longer nights starting in autumn. Watch for shriveled leaves, which often indicate the plant is too dry or the roots are struggling.
- Watering
- Water when the top 2 to 3 centimeters of soil feel dry to the touch.
- Feeding
- Use a balanced liquid fertilizer during the active growing season from spring through summer.
- Pruning
- Prune back stems after flowering to encourage a bushier shape and more blooms next season.
- Repotting
- Repot every few years in the spring once the plant has finished blooming.
- Soil
- Well-draining, peat-based potting mix
- Soil pH
- 5.5 to 6.2
- Temperature
- 10 to 25°C
- Humidity
- 50 to 70%
- Drought tolerance
- low
- Lifespan
- Perennial, typically 10 to 20 years or more.
- Deer and rabbits
- moderate
Signs it needs repotting
- Roots are growing out of the drainage holes.
- The plant has stopped growing despite being in the right season.
- The soil dries out much faster than it used to.
Safety
- People
- The plant is generally considered non toxic to humans, though it may cause mild stomach irritation if eaten.
- Pets
- This plant is non-toxic to cats and dogs.
- Children
- The stems can be brittle and break off, posing a minor choking hazard if small pieces are ingested by young children.
- Contact allergens
- There are no significant skin irritants associated with this plant.
- Airborne allergens
- It does not produce significant airborne allergens.
- Edibility
- While not considered highly toxic, ingestion can cause gastrointestinal upset and is not recommended.
How to identify it
- Segmented, flat, leaf-like green stems
- Smooth, rounded edges on stem segments
- Tubular flowers with multiple layers
- Pendulous growth habit
- Flowers emerge from stem tips
- Height
- 0.3 to 0.6m
- Spread
- 0.3 to 0.6m
- Leaves
- medium green, evergreen
- Flowers
- pink, red, white, purple, 3 to 8cm
Common problems
- Root rot — This occurs when the soil stays too wet for too long, causing the roots to decay.
- Mealybugs — These small, white, cottony insects suck sap from the stems and weaken the plant.
Growing it
- Propagation
- stem cuttings
- When to plant
- spring
- Overwintering
- Keep the plant in a cool, bright spot indoors and reduce watering significantly during the winter months.
- In containers
- It grows very well in containers and prefers to be slightly pot bound in a well draining hanging basket.
Stem Cuttings
- 1. Twist off a healthy stem segment that has at least two or three joints.
- 2. Let the cut end callous over in a dry, shaded spot for a day or two.
- 3. Insert the calloused end into a pot filled with moist, well draining potting mix.
- 4. Keep the soil lightly moist and place in bright, indirect light until roots form.
Group plants with similar humidity needs together to create a microclimate that keeps them all happy.
Grows well with
- Peace Lily — They share similar requirements for indirect light and consistent humidity.
- Phalaenopsis Orchid — Both plants thrive in similar epiphytic conditions and light levels.
Similar species
- Thanksgiving Cactus — It looks very similar but has more pointed, claw like projections on the leaf segments.
- Easter Cactus — It has rounded leaf edges and blooms in the spring rather than the winter.
Science
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Schlumbergera
- Order
- Caryophyllales
- Class
- Magnoliopsida
- Native range
- Coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil.
- Conservation
- It is not currently listed as endangered or threatened in the wild.
It grows in the humid, shaded canopy of tropical forests, absorbing moisture and nutrients from the air and decaying debris.
- Uses
- indoor ornamental, hanging basket display
Through the year
Ecological indicators
- Salinity
- 2/9
- Light
- 4/9
- Temperature
- 7/9
- Moisture
- 5/9
- Soil reaction
- 5/9
- Nutrients
- 3/9
Taxonomy resolved against GBIF.
Questions people ask
- Why are the leaves shriveling?
- This is usually a sign that the plant is either too dry or has suffered root damage from overwatering.
- How do I get it to bloom?
- Provide the plant with at least 12 to 14 hours of total darkness each night for about 6 weeks before you want it to flower.
Where the name comes from
The genus is named after the French collector Frederic Schlumberger, while the species honors the British botanist Thomas Bridges.
Good to know
- It is often called the Christmas cactus because it typically blooms in late autumn or early winter.
- These plants are epiphytes, meaning they grow on trees in their native habitat rather than in soil.
- They require shorter days and cooler nights to trigger their beautiful flower production.
Is your christmas cactus looking unwell?
This page is a general guide. Pocket Botanist diagnoses problems from a photo of your actual plant, works out watering for your light and conditions, and reminds you when care is due.
This guide was generated with AI and checked against GBIF taxonomy. It is general information, not horticultural or veterinary advice. Read about how we build these guides.