11 Amazing Facts about Genus Schlumbergera You Should Know

The name of the genus Schlumbergera may intimidate you, but you’ll be happy to understand that it’s the name of the genus to which the famous Christmas Cactus belong. But you’ll be even happier to know that two other beautiful flowering cacti too belong to this genus and they are Thanksgiving Cactus and Easter Cactus. Schlumbergera is a relatively small genus consisting of about nine species which grow in coastal mountainous regions of southeastern Brazil. It belongs to the cactus tribe, Rhipsalideae, which, unlike most cacti, grow on trees and rock crevices in humid, shady environments.

The first plant in this genus introduced to the world was Schlumbergera truncata. The British naturalist Adrian Haworth described it first in 1819 from a plant cultivated at Kew. But before that, European horticulturists grew this species widely in succulent collections. In the early 1850s, William Buckley, a horticulturist crossed two species to produce the famous Christmas Cactus. Later hundreds of attractively colorful cultivars were produced and spread around the world! Here are 11 amazing facts you should know about genus Schlumbergera.

Description

Members of the genus Schlumbergera are leafless cacti having photosynthetic stem in segments, called cladodes. Cladodes are flat in certain species, and rounded in some others. The genus is known to have attractively flowering members and the flowers often grow horizontally and are adapted to pollination by hummingbirds. They have 20-30 tepals (undifferentiated sepals and petals) that unite to form a floral tube. Typically, some of the many stamens too unite at the flower’s base, whereas others arise out from the floral tube. Fertilized flowers turn into fruit which is fleshy and may be smooth or ribbed, depending on the species. It has black or brown seeds that are around 1mm in diameter.

Amazing Facts about Genus Schlumbergera

1. Who was the Genus Schlumbergera Named After?

The name of the genus Schlumbergera honors the 19th century French horticulturist Frederic Schlumberger, who owned a cactus collection at his chateau in France.

2. Easter Cactus Now Belongs to Another Genus!

Cultivated Schlumbergera cacti are now placed in the genus Rhipsalidopsis. These species were moved often back and forth between the genera, Schlumbergera and Rhipsalidopsis. Thus, now Easter Cactus is known as Rhipsalidopsis gaerteneri. However, the taxonomy of these cacti is still not well-settled.

3. Epiphytic or Epilithic

Plants in the genus Schlumbergera can be epiphytic (growing on trees) or epilithic (growing on rocks). They look quite different from the desert-dwelling cacti in the Cactaceae family. They grow in the coastal humid forests or rocky locations at altitudes varying from 2,300 ft. (700 m) to 9,120 ft. (2,780 m).

4. Sizeable Shrubs

Schlumbergera plants are shrubs but are quite sizeable and have woody bases. E.g. S. opuntioides grows to a height of around 4 feet (1.2m).

5. Varying Shapes of Stems

An interesting characteristic of the genus Schlumbergera is the variety of shapes of stems of the members. Thus, Schlumbergra truncata, the Thanksgiving or Crab Cactus, and S. russelliana have stem segments that are short and flattened, whereas the stem segments of S. xbuckleyi, the common Christmas Cactus that blooms by Christmas time in the Northern Hemisphere and a hybrid of these two species, and also of some other species, viz. S. kautskyi, S. orssichiana and S. opentioides are rounded. But all these produce similar flowers. Stem segments or cladodes may have crenate or serrated margins.

6. Segmented Stems have Areoles

As mentioned earlier, stems of the Schlumbergera plants are green and perform photosynthesis. They are made of segments that are either flat (named cladodes) or rounded. Flat stem segments have special structures known as ‘areoles’ at their ends. Two species have less flattened and more cylindrical, stem segments and have areoles arranged in rather spiral fashion all over the segments. In both these types, there are bristles or wool in the areoles, and are the emerging spots for flowers.

7. Colorful Flowers

An amazing characteristic of the members of the Schlumbergera genus is their flowers which come in a great array of colors including red, pink and white. These flowers are one of the main reasons of the fame this genus has earned.

Most of the popular houseplants in the genus Schlumbergera are not species, but cultivars and have white, red, pink, purple, orange or yellow flowers, whereas the Easter cactus produces flowers in pink, orange, red and white.

In most species, flowers are more or less horizontal and produce nectar in a chamber located at the base of the floral tube which hummingbirds can conveniently suck and bring about pollination too.

8. Many Common Names for Schlumbergera Plants

Schlumbergera plants have many common names which usually are derived from their blooming season. Thus, they are known as Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, Holiday cactus and Crab cactus. The Easter cactus (now comes under the genus Rhipsalidopsis) is also known as Whitsun cactus and it’s also a holiday cactus. However, in Brazil, these plants bloom around May and hence are known as Flor de Maio (May flower).

9. Very Long-lived Plants

Contrary to the commonly occurring fact that beauty doesn’t last very long, Schlumbergrea plants are very long-lived and can live even more than 100 years and can be passed down through generations.

10. How to Identify Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Easter Cactus (Differences Between Holiday Cacti)

Knowing this much about the holiday cacti so far, you may long for growing one of them as a houseplant. But how to understand which is which? So, let’s see the differences among them.

Knowing a few signs, you can easily identify whether the holiday cactus you’ve bought is a Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus or Easter cactus. Understand that the Easter cactus is a bit different from the other two. The other two belong to the Schlumbergera genus and are short day cacti, which means they require long periods of darkness and cool temperatures to bloom. To set buds, both of them need to have cool, dim conditions for minimum 12 hours per day for 6 weeks.

Then, are Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus same? No! They have some differences knowing which you can identify them.

Thanksgiving cactus or Schlumbergera truncata has clawed edges to its leaves because of which it is sometimes even called Crab cactus. On the other hand, leaves of Christmas cactus or S. bridgesii, have notched edges but they are not very pointy. Both these types grow intensely colored tubular flowers. Easter cactus has leaves with smoother edges with no notches. To bloom, it needs cool and low light conditions for much longer periods. Its flowers are star shaped and thus look different from the elongated (tubular) flowers of other holiday cacti.

All the three cacti, viz. Christmas cactus, Easter cactus and Thanksgiving cactus are broadly termed as Zygocactus. Zygocactus is not a genus but an umbrella term for holiday cacti.

Flowers of Christmas cactus hang facing downwards and their anthers are purple-brown, whereas that of Thanksgiving cactus grow parallel to the ground and have yellow anthers.

All these three cacti are extremely colorful and come in a range of colors with red and fuchsia being the most common colors, although they also come in orange, white and yellow.

Fortunately, holiday cacti are quite easy to grow and produce flowers every year, provided you provide them periods of dim light and low temperature.

11. Maintenance Needs for Schlumbergera Plants

As you may know by now, Holiday cacti love short days i.e. shortened duration of daylight that winter brings. Such conditions trigger flowering in these cacti. Christmas and Thanksgiving cacti will start setting buds after around 6 weeks of short days and bloom in late fall to winter, whereas Easter cactus sets buds after 8-12 weeks and flowers show in late winter or early spring.

Light and Temperature: Holiday cacti love bright but indirect light and should be kept cool in summer. A shady, cool place, like a breezy, covered patio, is best to place these beauties. You can place them outside in October when nights are chilly and longer and bring them inside during toasty months. But keep in mind, frost should be strictly avoided for holiday cacti.

To let your holiday cactus bloom each year, give them longer nights and cool temperatures i.e. under 55-degrees. Schlumbergera are long-night plants and should be provided a solid 12-14 hour stretch of darkness.

Soil: Potting mix specially designed for cacti and succulents is the best for Schlumbergera plants. Choose mixtures comprising peat moss, compost and pumice and coco chips. This is super well-draining as soil that drains well, holds on some moisture and can be remoistened when dry is perfect for Schlumbergera.

Watering: Water your plant regularly and let the soil be slightly damp, but soggy soil is another strict no-no. Better use a moisture-meter. Reduce watering once blooming is over. However, never allow the roots to completely dry out. Instead, divide the watering routine and regularly check the soil with a moisture meter.

Fertilization: Schlumbergera plants are not foodies and so, you can use a 20-20-20 fertilizer in half strength, around 2-4 times a year, from April to September. Be careful to avoid salt buildup by flushing the plant with water. If the beautiful Schlumbergera blossoms are what you’re longing for, stop fertilizing minimum six weeks before the start of flowering season.

Repotting: It’s better to avoid taking out your holiday cactus from its cozy pot as this plant is happy when kept snug and secure. If at all, you repot, choose a pot one size up, e.g. discard a 4-inch pot and use a 5-inch pot. When the plant sets buds, never move it; this will avoid premature dropping. If you need to move, it’s safe to do that when the flowers have slightly opened.

Pests and Diseases: Although Schlumbergera plants are quite hardy to pests, some pests like mealybugs, scale insects and spider mites can sometimes give your plant hard times. Using an approved insecticide is a good solution. Follow the instructions on the label well. Snails and slugs too love to munch on holiday cacti; therefore, while growing these plants outdoors, place the pots off the ground.

Schlumbergera plants are relatively disease-free. However, poorly drained soil can cause constant moisture which eventually may cause growth of root rotting fungi. If your plant is sagging and not growing even if the soil is moist, check it to see if its roots are healthy. If they’re not, start a new plant by taking some cuttings; use a better-draining soil for the new plant.

After Blooming: Schlumbergera plants, after blooming, can look quite devastated once blooming is over! But don’t worry. Shriveled and droopy stems after blooming are normal for these plants.

However, if the plant wilts, it may show root rot or stress. Just tug the plant gently. If it comes out easily, there is root rot. If the stem has turned mushy, cut off those parts and let it develop new roots in coco chips or in water.

Propagation: As you know by now, Schlumbergera flowers are designed to be pollinated by hummingbirds. Schlumbergera fruits don’t open when ripe, but appear to are seemingly adapted for distribution by birds, which eat the fruit pulp and seeds. Birds are seen to remove seeds stuck to their beaks by rubbing them on tree branches where they can germinate.

However, Schlumbergera also propagate vegetatively. The stems’ segments break off and eventually take root, and new plants are formed. Or you can simply remove a “Y” shaped piece from a branch and plant it into sterile soil or vermiculite. It will root within no time!

Remarkable Species In The Genus

Christmas Cactus (S. bridgesii)

Christmas cactus is probably the most coveted species of the Schlumbergera genus. Some reasons for its popularity are beautiful and colorful flowers, long bloom time and easy maintenance needs. Flowers are pink or lilac. They are usually given as gifts around the holidays. Being easy to propagate, you can gift them to your dear ones from time to time, and also enjoy watching them grow. Since it’s a long-lived plant, its gifting can be done year after year.

Thanksgiving Cactus (S. truncata)

Thanksgiving cactus blooms from mid-November to late December, and sometimes even through January. It has square-shaped leaf segments with pointy hooks along the edges on one end resembling a crab, so it’s popularly also known as Crab Cactus. It produces 2-3-inch-long satiny flowers that are pollinated by hummingbirds.

Conclusion

If you wish to have cacti in your home garden, Schlumbergera plants are the most ideal member to start with. Besides looking splendid, they ask for very little for growing and being maintained. For minimal efforts, you can get a great reward from these plants in the form of beautiful flowers in a wide array of colors. And you can have them year after year, as these plants live quite long. Bring home one of these beauties and enjoy watching them growing. Do tell us your experiences with these beauties. If you want to know about other cacti species and their growing and maintenance, do read other articles on this website