A true Christmas cactus!
By Fleur
@Fleura (29128)
United Kingdom
January 1, 2023 3:54am CST
I wrote about my Christmas cactus plants before. I have quite a few in several different colours and many of them have been with me for years – decades even. They flower reliably every year, but I think that this year is the first when they have actually been in flower at Christmas! In spite of the name, mine all seem to flower around November and then it’s all over by the time Christmas comes.
Not that it matters of course, I appreciate their flowers in the dull November days just the same. But something must have affected them this year – not sure if it was the unusually warm weather in November or the unusually cold weather in December, or something else entirely of course.
This particular plant also has another mystery… I bought it as a white-flowered plant two years ago, but this year not only is it a deep pink but it has produced some red flowers as well!
All rights reserved. © Text and image copyright Fleur 2023.
14 people like this
13 responses
@CarolDM (203452)
• Nashville, Tennessee
1 Jan 23
What a beautiful bloom. Love the color. I know @GreatMartin writes about his as well. I should get one.
2 people like this
@GreatMartin (23676)
• Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
2 Jan 23
Of the 21 plants I have in my apartment it is the easiest one to grow--in fact I have 2 more just by breaking of 2 pieces of the mother plant! And the mother plant blossoms all year!
@YrNemo (20261)
•
1 Jan 23
I never got any luck with this plant. The only good pot I had, got destroyed one year by my ex's new dog at the time. My current one is still thinking if it should live or die... (It is OK, I can always grab another from one of my sisters. By the way, I haven't seen the white one ever.)
1 person likes this
. My older sister and and sister in law looked at me when I told them mine kept dying, they said, 'hah? why?'
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
1 Jan 23
I didn't know the flowers might change color. Very interesting. I used to have several of them with the dark pink flowers. When we moved into this house five years ago, I had to give many of my indoor plants away. The Christmas cactus didn't make the move with us.
1 person likes this
@Fleura (29128)
• United Kingdom
1 Jan 23
Apparently they are affected by temperature, which makes sense because they are generally grown in heated facilities and then when I buy one it comes to our house which is generally quite cool. So if I want a white one it seems I will have to keep buying a new plant every year!
1 person likes this
@DaddyEvil (137142)
• United States
1 Jan 23
@garymarsh6 Oh, like the snowball bushes? I had one snowball bush that had white flowers on it and one with blue flowers. I had to keep the soil alkaline to keep the flowers blue. (It's been twenty-something years since I grew snowball bushes so it might have been acidic soil the blue flowering bushes needed.)
2 people like this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
1 Jan 23
@DaddyEvil I think it also has something to do with the ph of the soil, if it is acidic or alkaline. This can affect the colour of the flowers.
2 people like this
@wolfgirl569 (95188)
• Marion, Ohio
1 Jan 23
It looks very pretty. Mine didn't flower this year. But I do need to repot it
1 person likes this
@BarBaraPrz (45487)
• St. Catharines, Ontario
1 Jan 23
Mine put out just two blossoms this year, pale pink, in November. Yours is keeping things interesting.
1 person likes this
@allknowing (130064)
• India
1 Jan 23
Nature always springs pleasant surprises That is a beautiful cactus.
1 person likes this
@changjiangzhibin89 (16532)
• China
1 Jan 23
Happy New Year!I have grown the Christmas cactus-schlumbergera.We call it crablike orchid ,because its cladodes look like the claws of a crab.
1 person likes this
@cherigucchi (14879)
• Philippines
1 Jan 23
This is really amazing. Its the first time I see something like this
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23393)
• United Kingdom
1 Jan 23
That is a beautiful specimen. A couple of ours have flowered too. Happy New Year!
1 person likes this
