Sunday, December 29, 2013

Christmas Cactus




 When it comes to exotic looking flowers, I think Christmas cactus is pretty hard to beat. It’s a plant I usually associate with my paternal grandmother during the holidays, along with Amaryllis.

I bought this little beauty early this month. It was an impulse purchase from a local nursery. The trip I made there was originally for some herb plants. After I found the ones needed to refurbish my herb bed, I made the mistake of letting my eyes wander while on the way to the cash register. Since it had been several years that a Christmas cactus had graced my house, I just had to add it to my purchase.

Christmas cactus can make very long lived houseplants. With excellent care, they can grow to become rather large plants. (Watering must be done carefully, and amount varies throughout the year.) When they reach a larger size, they can be hanging plants or allowed to trail down a pedestal. The best part? No nasty, impossible-to-remove thorns. For those hoping for Christmas bloom, if you buy at the beginning of December, look for plants with tiny little flower buds at the end of the leaves. The plant I bought started blooming the weekend before Christmas. It still has several buds that are preparing to open, so I should be able to enjoy the flowers for at least a month.

Did you buy a Christmas cactus and are now wondering how to take care of it? Instructions for year round care and re-blooming can be found here: http://www.wikihow.com/Care-for-a-Christmas-Cactus. And here’s something to think about. Now that Christmas is over, leftover plants will be sold at a discount. It’s a good time to collect a variety of colors. Provided the plants were cared for properly at the nursery or big box store, they may still be blooming, allowing you to enjoy the flowers for a little while.
Don’t have a Christmas cactus? No matter its name, or what you celebrate, they make charming additions to plant collections. And who doesn’t need an exotic flower to admire in the dead of winter?

The Project Queen

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