Differences Between Christmas & Easter Cactus

If you view holiday cacti as cute little relatives of Arizona's finest, you are probably not alone. Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera spp.) and Easter cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaetneri or Hatiora gaetneri) are marketed in small pots with colored ribbons, but their life in the wild might astound you.

Christmas cactus got its moniker from marketers for obvious reasons: Its flowers bloom late in the year. Some species bloom as early as Thanksgiving and are sold as Thanksgiving cacti. This small succulent is also called the crab cactus because its stems are segmented and arch from the plant's center rather like a crab's claws. The cactus generally has no spines or at best small, weak ones. Christmas cactus offers flowers in a variety of colors; although the hot pink is perhaps best known, red, purple, orange and ivory flowers are also available.

Easter cactus and Christmas cactus are not in the same genus, yet the two plants resemble each other and have similar growing requirements. You can tell them apart quite easily by the blooming period. An Easter cactus develops flower buds in February and blossoms from early through late spring. If the cactus is not blooming, you can differentiate between the two plant by inspecting the stem segments. Christmas cacti have either rounded or pointy edges while the edges of the Easter cactus are lined with golden bristles. The flowers of Easter cactus cultivars are shaped like stars and come in the same color range as those of the Christmas cactus.

Holiday cacti have never seen an Arizona summer or the deserts of northern Mexico, nor could they survive such growing conditions. These cacti are not native to arid lands but to the wet, tropical jungles of South America, where they live at altitudes up to 5,000 feet. They are epiphytes, growing on trees or plant debris and taking the water and nutrients they require from the air.

Holiday cacti can be grown as indoor plants but also survive outdoors in appropriate climates. The Easter cactus is hardy in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 through 10 while the Christmas cactus species Schlumbergera truncata is perennial in USDA zones 10 through 12 and the species Schlumbergera x buckleyi in zones 9 through 11. Their ideal growing temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with night temperature between 55 and 65 degrees Fahrenheit. These plants will not grow in heavy soil but need a well-drained, well-aerated growing medium such as a mixture of potting soil, peat moss and sand. Water the plants only when their soil is dry to the touch.