Mid-Atlantic Gardening: Holiday Cacti General Discussion Part #3, 1 by coleup

coleup wrote:
Reserved for Holiday cactus info

There are three main types of Holiday cactus: Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter. All are called Holiday Cacti but each is slightly different in its form, flower, bloom time and cultural requirements. Many already know this information but so we can keep them straight, here is a description of the three types. We can all appreciate how far back these long lived beauties go and love them whatever their official holiday.


Christmas and Thanksgiving are members of the genus Schlumbergera while Easter Cacti comprise two species of the genus Rhipsalidopsis. This information comes from Paul's Notes "Recognition and Culture of the Holiday Cacti"

Christmas Cactus

The true "Christmas Cactus" is Schlumbergera x buckleyi, a hybrid between S. Russelliana and S. Truncata produced in the late 1840s in England by William Buckley at the Rollisson Nurseries. There are two maybe 3 slightly different surviving clones of of three hybrids of this cross names S.x.buckleyi 'Buckleyi', S.x buckleyi 'Rollissonii' and possibly S.x..buckley 'Snowii'.
There is a difference in the flowers of these three. Magenta is the primary color. (We would call it fuchsia I think). Characteristically, the True Christmas Cactus has branches which are decidedly arcing and the pendent and the stem segments do not have the little points along the side The flowers are completely pendent and radially symmetrical (actinomorphic).
Their blooming time is actually between November and May and many times it blooms too late for the Christmas Sales, and is one reason it is so hard to find. The true Christmas Cactus come mostly from old plants handed down from family to family , as these plants can and do live for 50 years or more!

Thanksgiving Cactus

The Thanksgiving Cacti are Schlumbergera truncata cultivars. They are clones selected for their colors and growth habit and given cultivar names. They bloom about a full month or more before the true Christmas Cactus, given the same treatment, and so are more easily made to bloom at the best time for Christmas sales, but the flowers might not last until Christmas.
They are also known as the "Link Cactus", "Grandmother's Cactus", etc. and sold in Canada as Christmas Cactus. Many of them are now also called Zygo Cactus.
Their flowers are asymmetrical (zygomorphic). not normally pendent, but bent somewhat upward at the ovary, so that they grow outward, rather horizontally from the tips of the segments on branches which are usually much more erect that those of the True Christmas Cactus. The colors range from pure white to a deep reddish violet. In 1982 the first yellow one was grown . Now there are many beautiful colors available, but they will be Zygo Cactus as some also call them. I have some I call Zygo because they arrived from the grower identified as such.
Because both the Thanksgiving and Christmas Cactus bloom twice each year between Oct. and Feb. then again in March and May, many people confuse them with the Easter Cactus.

Easter Cactus

The Easter Cactus is Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri. It is not nearly as popular as the Schlumbergeras because it is rather more difficult to grow well, and it has the disconcerting habit of shedding its stem segments at the slightest dry spell, or whenever over or under watered. It may refuse to bloom for no apparent reason. But it is quite magnificent in spite of all of the problems one may have with them. R. gaertneri is the species with scarlet flowers.'Crimson Giant' and 'Rainbow' are some of the cultivars. All are beautiful when in bloom.

Recognition and Culture of the Holiday Cacti" by Paul Brunelle

http://cactus.biology.dal.ca/paulS/christmas/christmas.html
________________________________________________________________________


Here is the one that compares the leaves. You will see the difference on page 2 of the different Schlums and some additional info.

http://cactusepiphytes.pagesperso-orange.fr/z_page_les_cactu...

These two have so much good information. I use them as reference all the time. The Paul's has a much more complete description than what I copied for you. If you are really interested in getting to know the plants, these two will be very helpful.
________________________________________________________________________
Daves Garden memberTina (tmbolin) did an article some time ago,

"Will the Real CC Please Stand Up?"
http://davesgarden.com/guides/articles/view/392/

She uses Paul B (above) as a reference too and includes many of his drawings that illustrate the differences in the three types.
_______________________________________________________________________
tbc




This message was edited Oct 25, 2011 9:01 AM