Is Christmas cactus a succulent plant or not? Read on and you will understand

The Christmas cactus is also known as crab claw lotus, immortal finger flower, Christmas cactus and so on. It originates from Brazil in South America, and is now commonly cultivated in tropical and subtropical regions around the world. In China it is cultivated as an ornamental plant in parks and flower nurseries everywhere, and is often grafted onto Hylocereus undatus or other rootstocks to obtain vigorously growing plants. Now let us take a look together at whether the Christmas cactus is a succulent plant!

Is the Christmas cactus a succulent plant?

The Christmas cactus is a succulent plant. The Christmas cactus is an epiphytic succulent plant of the genus Schlumbergera in the cactus family, shrub-like, with pendulous stems, many branches and no spines; the old stems become woody, while the young stems are flat. Bright green or slightly purplish, with a truncate apex, flowers solitary at the tips of the branches, bilaterally symmetrical. The tips of the calyx are separate, the corolla has several whorls, the stamens are numerous, and the berry is pear-shaped. The flowering period runs from October to February of the following year; when cultivated indoors, the flowering period can be regulated by controlling light.

How to grow the Christmas cactus

1. Choosing a flower pot: For the Christmas cactus you can use a clay pot, plastic pot, porcelain pot or ceramic pot, but a clay pot is best. To coordinate with home decor, you can use plastic pots in varying colors for cultivation, and it is best to choose a pot whose diameter is 2/3 of the plant's crown diameter.

2. Soil mix: The Christmas cactus likes fertile, loose soil. At home you can use 3 parts garden soil, 4 parts leaf mold, 3 parts sand, or 4 parts peat soil, 2 parts leaf mold, 2 parts sand, 2 parts perlite (or volcanic rock). After mixing the soil, it is best to sterilize it at high temperature before use, or you can sun it to sterilize it.

3. Reasonable watering: The Christmas cactus is an epiphytic type of cactus. In its natural environment it often grows epiphytically on trees or in moist valleys, so the growing environment requires semi-shade and humidity, but the potting soil must not be too wet; follow the principle of “water thoroughly only when completely dry”. In the hot season, water once every 2 to 3 days, and avoid watering at noon. In winter, when the temperature is lower, water once a week, and avoid watering in the evening.

4. Timely fertilizing: The Christmas cactus likes fertilizer. When fertilizer is sufficient, there are more branches and more flowers. Start topdressing after the leaf buds sprout. During the growing season, apply once every 15 to 20 days a topdressing of thoroughly decomposed liquid fertilizer diluted 10 times mixed with an equal amount of 1000-times potassium dihydrogen phosphate solution or 1000-times “Huaduoduo” general-purpose fertilizer. In late autumn, reduce the frequency of fertilizing, and stop fertilizing when the temperature is below 10°C. Do not fertilize when the summer temperature is high or the winter temperature is low.

5. Light control: The Christmas cactus fears hot, high temperatures, and avoid exposure to the sun and rain, so in summer it should be placed in a ventilated indoor spot or on a balcony on the shady side. After the Start of Autumn, the Christmas cactus gradually recovers its growth, and should be placed in a spot with 50% light, such as a shade shed or a sunny window, to receive light and promote flower bud differentiation. As the weather turns cooler, gradually increase the light, and from late autumn to winter it should be given sufficient light.

6. Flowering regulation: The Christmas cactus is a short-day plant, and the flowering period can be controlled by regulating the light duration. To force flowering, begin short-day treatment 60 to 70 days before the desired flowering time, with 8 hours of natural light per day and light-blocking treatment for the rest of the time. The light blocking must be continuous and must not be interrupted; generally flower buds can be seen after 20 days.

What are the common succulent plants?

1. Lotus leaf lotus: As its name suggests, the lotus leaf lotus is named because it looks like a lotus. The color of the leaves changes in all four seasons, and when there is plenty of sunlight, a red edge appears along the edges of the leaves.

2. White beauty: White beauty is also called star beauty. It changes throughout the year, both in color and in appearance, and those who like it can use a camera to record its changes through the four seasons.

3. Purple peony: The purple peony is a large pot, with many leaves, layer upon layer, very beautiful. Strangely, the color of the fleshy leaves changes with the season, temperature and light intensity, either bright or plain.

4. Ruby: The ruby is like a red gem and needs light. The color of the fleshy leaves changes with the season, temperature and light intensity, turning red or green.

5. Graptopetalum paraguayense: The red fleshy leaves of Graptopetalum paraguayense are very ornamental, and the color of the fleshy leaves also changes with the season, temperature and light intensity, making it a very interesting succulent plant.

6. Sedum pachyphyllum: Sedum pachyphyllum is more like clusters and clumps of red and green gems. It is also very easy to keep alive and very easy to propagate; just insert the leaves into the soil to grow it. The color of the leaves likewise changes with the four seasons, beautiful and lovely.

7. Haworthia cooperi: The fleshy leaves of Haworthia cooperi are arranged compactly in a rosette shape, the leaves are thick and plump, and the upper half is transparent or semi-transparent, with most of the body buried under the soil so that only the windowed part is exposed above the ground.

8. Black prince: As its name suggests, the black leaves are its appearance. It likes places with plenty of sunlight; without sunlight it turns green and does not look good.

9. Blue stone lotus: The blue stone lotus looks very noble, very beautiful and elegant, and when there is plenty of sunlight the edges of the leaves even turn pink. It does not like low temperatures and cold.