8 Varieties Of Schlumbergera Holiday Cactus To Bring Your Festive Spirit Alive

Holiday cacti (Schlumbergera spp.) are everywhere during the festive season, but don't discount them as a long-term addition to your houseplant collection. If you care for your holiday cacti properly, they will give you years of fall and winter color, right when most other indoor plants are dormant. The genus Schlumbergera gives us not just Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera × buckleyi), but also Thanksgiving cacti (Schlumbergera truncata) and the recently reclassified Easter cacti (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri). And luckily for those of us who like houseplants but lack a green thumb, growing a thriving Thanksgiving cactus or Christmas cactus is relatively fuss-free.

There are so many colorful species and cultivars to choose from; you're bound to find something to brighten the coldest, darkest months of the year. While the most well known holiday cacti have red flowers, like 'Chiba Spot,' others bloom white, yellow, pink, lavender, or peach — 'Christmas Fantasy,' 'Witte Eva,' and 'Gold Charm' spring to mind. Some even have unusual petal shapes or colors, like variegated 'Carnival.'

Bonus: To keep these plants producing gorgeous blooms year after year, they need the long, dark nights of fall and winter. Before you study up on holiday cactus care needs, you'll want to pick a species or cultivar to grow first. It's easy to propagate a holiday cactus to add pops of cheerful color to your space, so check with friends and family and take a cutting. You can, of course, also buy a plant from discount stores and plant centers during the festive season.

'Carnival' is a special Schlumbergera cultivar that you'll have to seek out. It probably won't be on sale at your local big box store or even your local plant nursery. However, fans of unusual epiphytes or rare cacti might want to put in the effort to secure this holiday cactus. What's most striking about 'Carnival' is its variegated stem segments (cladodes) in shades of green and creamy yellow. This eye-catching rainforest plant also produces hot pink blooms right at Christmastime.

'Chiba Spot' is a Thanksgiving cactus best known for its extraordinary flowers. The long, thin petals of the reddish-rose blooms give 'Chiba Spot' a spidery appearance. The quirky aesthetic will appeal to anyone looking to add a novelty holiday houseplant to their collection. In case you were wondering, the main difference between a Thanksgiving cactus and a Christmas cactus is that the former blooms earlier — starting in mid-November. Thanksgiving cacti also have two to four teeth on each leaf segment. 'Chiba Spot' has both characteristics.

'Christmas Fantasy' is a houseplant that will spice up your holiday décor. This is one of the oldest orange-flowering Schlumbergera hybrids, and its beautiful blooms boast soft salmon-to-peach petals and white centers. These Christmas cacti have large stem segments and a semi-upright to upright growth habit that makes them great-looking houseplants. Expect 'Christmas Fantasy' to flower anytime between fall and spring, with the timing varying by about 12 days between seasons.

The distinctive pale yellow flowers of 'Gold Charm' have a central red ring and a red-pink pistil. This holiday cactus has a significant claim to fame: It's the first yellow-blooming Schlumbergera hybrid. These festive houseplants are semi-upright when young, then turn trailing as they mature. Outside of the flowers, identify this plant by its large, toothed stem segments. You can count on 'Gold Charm' to contribute to your Thanksgiving décor — it should start to bloom in the middle or at the end of November.

'Kris Kringle' is a festively named holiday cactus cultivar that bears bright crimson flowers. This houseplant is a prolific bloomer. You can count on it to produce lots of buds that will open in mid-November — right as fall transitions to winter and when you're likely starting to decorate your home for Christmas. 'Kris Kringle' is compact, maxing out at about 17 inches tall, with medium-sized stem segments and small teeth. Consider it a dainty edition to your houseplant collection.

'New Deal' is a Schlumbergera heirloom cultivar with a storied past. This holiday cactus hybrid was released in the early 1930s, and its name commemorates the election of President Franklin Roosevelt. It produces magenta and white flowers that are at least an inch longer than other cultivars in astonishing abundance. You can expect two flushes of flowering from 'New Deal' — one towards the beginning of winter and another in time for Easter.

'Witte Eva,' also known as 'Chiyoda' or 'White Eva,' is a Schlumbergera cultivar with white blooms and dramatic magenta pistils. Sometimes these pale flowers have a pinkish tint to their center. This particular holiday cactus has trailing stems, making it a beautiful choice for fall or winter indoor hanging baskets. 'Witte Eva' tends not to flower as abundantly as other cultivars, with fewer blooms in each cluster. It makes up for this lack, however, by producing little red berries during the holiday season.

'Zaraika' is a Schlumbergera cultivar that blooms in the middle of November, bearing festive flowers in abundance. To make things even more exciting, the bright crimson petals often feature white centers and bases. This holiday cactus grows upright and has medium-sized stem segments with prominent teeth. Don't turn a blind eye to a common Christmas cactus problem: root rot. This native Brazilian epiphyte needs extremely well-draining soil and infrequent watering.