Photo: Christmas cactus — Fethullah Öztürk · CC BY 4.0. Photo resized from the original.
Plant guide
Christmas cactus
Schlumbergera
Light
Bright light, but not direct sun.
Watering
Water when the top few centimetres are dry, but never let the soil dry out completely. Overwatering rots the roots and stems.
Air
Warm, 18–20 °C. Likes humidity: mist it and stand it on a tray of damp gravel.
Toxic?
Cats: Not toxic · Dogs: Not toxic — More about pets
People: Not listed as poisonous.
This is normal
- Buds form in autumn when nights are long: it needs 13–14 hours of unbroken darkness a day, and even evening lamplight gets in the way.
- The flat, toothed “leaves” are actually stem segments.
Watch out for
No flowers or bud dropRoot rotMealybugSpider mite
How often for your pot?Days and millilitres for your pot — counted like in the app.
Count it →Sources: RHS · Clemson HGIC · NC State Extension · ASPCA. Every line is checked against two of them.