What is the difference between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus? A quick guide to telling them apart

Christmas cactus is cultivated in all parts of China, and is often grafted onto Hylocereus undatus or other rootstocks as an ornamental plant to obtain vigorously growing plants. Thanksgiving cactus is a popular indoor potted flower; growing one lets you not only enjoy brilliantly colored flowers but also keep it as a long-term indoor potted plant to lift your mood. Let us take a look below at the difference between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus!

The difference in family and genus between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus

1. Christmas cactus: Christmas cactus is an epiphytic succulent plant in the plant kingdom, Angiosperms, Dicotyledons, Caryophyllales, Cactaceae, genus Schlumbergera.

2. Thanksgiving cactus: Thanksgiving cactus is an epiphytic succulent plant in the plant kingdom, Angiosperms, Dicotyledons, Caryophyllales, Cactaceae, genus Schlumbergera.

The morphological difference between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus

1. Christmas cactus: Christmas cactus is shrub-like, with drooping stems, many branches and no spines, old stems becoming woody, young stems flat, bright green or slightly purplish, with a truncate tip. Flowers are solitary at the tip of the branch, bilaterally symmetrical, with the sepals free at the tip, the corolla in several whorls, numerous stamens, and a pear-shaped berry. The flowering period runs from October to February of the following year.

2. Thanksgiving cactus: The flat stem segments of Thanksgiving cactus are pale green, 3 to 3.5 cm long and 1.5 to 2.5 cm wide, with a distinct midrib and shallowly wavy edges. Flowers are solitary at the tip of the branch, with a regular corolla and many colors, including purple, red, white and so on. The flowering period is February.

The price difference between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus

1. Christmas cactus: The price of Christmas cactus varies with region, variety and size. Usually an average-sized plant costs about ten-plus yuan to around one hundred yuan; larger, very robust plants cost a little more, while smaller ones are a little cheaper. During the winter holidays the price of Christmas cactus rises further, and prices of over one hundred yuan also occur.

2. Thanksgiving cactus: Thanksgiving cactus is a short-day plant that blooms in winter. A cutting-grown seedling costs 10 to 15 yuan per pot, a grafted seedling about 20 yuan per pot, and a large plant with more than a hundred flowers is worth over one hundred yuan, but plants whose rootstock is clearly aged, whose segments are small and thin, and which have fewer flower buds are priced lower.

The habit difference between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus

1. Christmas cactus: Christmas cactus likes a cool, warm environment, is relatively drought-tolerant, fears the high heat of summer, and is relatively shade-tolerant. The optimum growing temperature is 20 to 25°C, and the temperature during dormancy is about 15°C. It likes a loose, organic-rich substrate with good drainage and aeration. It is a short-day plant, and under 8 to 10 hours of daylight per day it can bloom in 2 to 3 months.

2. Thanksgiving cactus: Thanksgiving cactus likes a warm, humid climate, and the soil should be rich in organic matter and well drained. During the growing season the soil should be kept moist, with a light fertilizer application once every two weeks. The optimum growing temperature is 19 to 32°C, and in winter 7 to 13°C is best. It is slightly shade-tolerant and should be kept in a semi-shaded environment, protected from strong direct sun in summer; in the high summer heat it often goes dormant, and at this time watering should be reduced.