In apartments on the windowsills, you can find a large number of indoor plants, which delight with their splendor. The Christmas Cactus is one such beautiful plant. In nature, it grows on trees, as it belongs to the cactus family. The plant is picky to care for, it is not difficult to grow it.
Christmas Cactus is a small bush with branched stems. The main weakness of the flower is the roots, they are weak, they can die very quickly, but they also recover quickly enough. The plant is very common and breeders are constantly working to create new unusual varieties. Therefore, there are a lot of Christmas Cactus Color Varieties, types, species, etc.
Christmas Cactus Color varieties
The variety of species is amazing, as is their color range. The buds can be light or glowing, and this directly depends on the variety. Breeders have done a great job in breeding unusual species. The most common colors are:
- Red. Most often, the Christmas tree has red flowers. The most common are Russelina, Gertner.
- Pink. The Christmas Cactus pink buds are very rare, but several varieties have been bred by breeders – Madame Butterfly, Zygocactus Truncated.
- Orange. A bright representative is the variety Santa Cruz, it is impossible to meet it in nature with orange flowers, this is a product of selection.
- Yellow. Most often in stores you can find the Buckley variety, which has several shades. It can bloom yellow, white and even purple.
- White. The varieties White and Aspen have white buds. If we talk about the first plant, then it blooms very profusely, even the stems in the midst of flowering are not visible. Aspen is a terry species, its flowers are somewhat reminiscent of a carnation.
See article on Christmas Cactus Pros And Cons.
Schlumberger truncata
This type of Christmas Cactus is an epiphyte. It is found naturally in South America and Brazil. It is there that this plant can be found on the trunks of age-old trees.
This zygocactus got its name due to the structure of the stems – they are flat, slightly pointed with small denticles along the edges, there can be from 2 to 4. The flowers are like a beveled tube, the petals of which go back. The diameter of each bud is 2-2.5 cm, up to 8 cm in length.
The color range of flowers is varied, flowers can be :
- pink;
- white;
- lavender;
- lilac;
- purple.
Golden Cream
This variety was bred by breeders; in nature, you will not find a Christmas Cactus that blooms in yellow. It should be noted that the flowers look natural and delicate, thanks to the soft yellowish tint.
Liberty jasma jay
This is a variation of the Schlumberger Buckley variety, which is famous for its unusual shaped inflorescences and a mix of shades during the flowering process. As soon as the plant blooms, its buds are red, a little later they change to light pink. At the end of the flowering process, green spots appear on them.
This type of Schlumberger is unpretentious in care, therefore, after transplantation, it blooms very quickly, as it takes root well. This variety is very common among flower growers.
Russeliana
The branches of this plant species are drooping, they reach a length of 80 cm. The segments are green and look like leaves. It is worth noting that all segments are different, each has peculiar veins and raised edges. The flowers are large with petals in several tiers – the colors are white, pink, and red.
Buckleyi christmas cactus
A plant with a bush half a meter tall. Buckley was bred by breeders, its main difference from other plant species is glossy and dense segments. The segments have small spines at the edges, but they are very sharp. Flowers 8 cm long with tubular tiered petals. It begins to bloom at the end of November and will delight with its beauty until spring. As for the color of the buds, it can be pink, purple, yellow, white.
Enigma christmas cactus
A magnificent flower that differs from all others in the shape of the inflorescences. Small tubular flowers with a pink center and petals, and large, up to 5-7 cm white stamens. due to this structure, they look like fluffy bunches.
Schlumbergera Kautskyi
The segments on the stems are similar to leaflets, but only the segments reach 3.5 cm in length – up to one and a half centimeters wide. It blooms with purple flowers with pointed narrow petals – 5 cm long.
Madame Butterfly
A unique variety of the Christmas Cactus: firstly, there is a white or yellowish border on the segments, and secondly, the flowers are white, they have a crimson border at the edges – it is not clear, but as if it spreads towards the middle.
want to know about Cephalocereus Senilis Old Man Cactus.
Terry christmas cactus
This is a white type of Christmas Cactus– this is its uniqueness, the flowers can be pink or white, fluffy around the edges.
It is worth noting that at first glance, the flowers look like carnations. The plant looks very solemn, so flower lovers install it in the most prominent place in the apartment.
Schlumbergera orssichiana
The bush is very large and unusual. The stems consist of 7 cm long segments with a pronounced jagged border. The shade of the inflorescences can be crimson or pink. Long flowering time, with proper care it can bloom 2 times a year.
Laranja Dobrada
An unusual plant with large lush terry-type inflorescences. The flowers are pale pink in the middle with a crimson edging around the edges, they look very beautiful and airy.
Schlumbergera Opuntioides
The variety was bred not so long ago, its difference is the flat shape of the leaf, reminiscent of prickly pear shoots. When the plant is young, its segments have denticles along the edges. But as they grow, they become oval. The flowers are large, up to 6 cm long, pink or purple.
Microcylindrical (Microsphaerica)
In this type of Christmas Cactus, the segments have the shape of a cylinder. . In the spring, the first snow-white or pink flowers bloom, which awaits pollination. After flowering, beautiful bright fruits ripen.
Bahia Brasil
An excellent hybrid with large tubular flowers, the petals are arranged in several tiers and are mostly bright red-crimson colors. A distinctive feature is the stems with dark red segments at the ends.
Lavender doll
A small flower – this differs from the rest of the Christmas Cactus varieties. Of interest are the gorgeous pink flowers of a slightly yellowish hue. Thanks to them, the plant looks very sophisticated and attractive.
Lavender fantasy
The stems of such a Christmas Cactus are flat with small jagged edges. In November, the first pink flowers appear. The stamens are white and the fruit is green-yellow.
Windsor
A wonderful plant with white inflorescences inside. They are large and elongated. The plant thrives on a sunny windowsill.
This species is very rare, and you will have to work hard to get it into your collection.
Christmas fantasy
An unusual and very beautiful plant with peach-colored flowers that can reach 8 cm in length. It is worth noting that the shape of the inflorescences has an unusual structure – the lower petals are slightly bent back, from this the buds look like the crest of an outlandish bird.
Limelight Dancer
The view is accentuated among others by the extraordinary color of the buds. The pale tone intensifies over time towards the edges of the petals, which gives the plant a pleasant, but quite expressive appearance.
Sanibel
The species has buds of salmon yellow and snow-white flowers. This Christmas Cactus blooms profusely and for a fairly long time. With proper care, it can continue to delight with flowering throughout the year.
Pasadena
This Christmas variety blooms in winter. The flowers are variegated red-white, the petals are arranged in several tiers. They add a certain richness to everyday colors.
With its configuration of leaves and buds, this species resembles Buckles.
Samba brazil
A beautiful Christmas Cactus with large inflorescences that have an unusual color the tube is white, the petals are snow-white at the base but gradually turn into a red edging towards the edges. The hybrid is unpretentious to care for and can bloom for several months in a row.
Kris kringle
The variety is very bright due to its red inflorescences. At the same time, the plant blooms for several months and pleases with its solemn and sophisticated look.
Santa cruz
Breeders have spent more than one year breeding this variety. And they achieved their goal by getting a plant with fiery orange-red buds.
It is very difficult to find this variety, it is quite rare and is in the collections of only some botanical gardens.
Christmas flame
The plant has a sophisticated look, its segments are large and very strong. The flowers are light orange or white. The tips of the flowers are delicately decorated with purple-crimson edging. The height of the bush is 40 cm, it looks good on a windowsill and a stand.
Cambridge
A charming and unique variety. It is not only the color of the inflorescences that amazes but also the shape of their leaves. White buds interspersed with pale pink tones. Some species have orange edging and rounded petals.
Christmas cheer
Unlike other varieties, the stems of this plant do not fall off and grow upward for a long time. The flowers are white, pale yellow or red.
Twilight tangerine
This unique species is distinguished by the fact that it blooms at night. According to external data, this plant is unremarkable, if you do not take into account the period of the first flowering. flowers of a standard color with a shade of orange.
Malissa
The appearance of this flower is striking in its uniqueness. The variety does not differ from others in the shape of the stems and flowers, but the color is charming.
Not only are the petals snow-white, but also the tubes, so the impression of the airiness of the bush is created.
Dark Eva
An unusual plant that has snow-white flowers with bright, red edging. This type of Christmas Cactus looks great in the neighborhood with other plants.
Golden Fever
The hybrid was bred a very long time ago – a small bush, which, when blooming, is strewn with large buds. It should be noted that the plant is completely unpretentious. It blooms unusually – the middle is yellow, and the edges of the petals are pink or orange.
White christmas
This type of Christmas Cactus is unique, as it blooms with a snow-white shade, but the pistil and sometimes the stamens have a bright red tone. Blooms for a long time – several months.
Bridgeport
This type of Christmas tree has rounded, large leaves. They amaze with their density and strength. The color is white and red.
Peach parfait
The shoots of this flower grow upright, so the flowers are high. This position makes it possible to make full use of the sun’s rays, receiving a sufficient amount of light. Flowers of this species have a peach hue, which lasts the entire flowering period.
Mix christmas cactus
Such a variety is achieved by planting several species of Christmas Cactus with different colors of inflorescences in one pot. The result is a magnificent-looking bush that blooms in all sorts of shades.
General care rules
The Christmas Cactus is a tropical plant, so it needs a lot of light, but not direct sunlight. In summer, it feels good outdoors, but you need to get rid of drafts.
You cannot rotate the Christmas tree and move it during flowering – it will drop the buds.
The temperature of the content is as follows:
- the optimal temperature for good growth is + 18-25 degrees;
- during the active growing season – + 18-20 degrees;
- after flowering, it is transferred to a room with a temperature of – + 12-16 degrees.
Watering should be regular, especially during the growing season. You need to feed the Christmas Cactus 1 time two weeks, but only in the warm season – in the fall, feeding is stopped.
All varieties of the Christmas Cactus are quite unpretentious than he can disappoint his owners, so this is the lack of flowering before the New Year. But if you fulfill the simple requirements for maintenance, transplantation, and watering, then this plant will delight with long and lush flowering.
