Plant & Photos: Rosi & Jurgen Lenz, Australia
Close-up of flower
Schlumbergeras grown as house plants are more likely to be hybrids than representatives of the true species. In the wild these jungle cacti inhabit moist tropical forests, where they grow in pockets of leaf debris in the clefts of tree branches, and they do best if indoor conditions approximate those of their natural habitat.
A good average specimen is likely to have a height and spread of about 12 inches. The densely branching, mainly pendent stems consist of many thin, flat, medium green segments.
Very tiny areoles (woolly tufts), some of which bear tiny bristles, are situated in notches along the edges of the segments. There is a bigger, elongated areole at the tip of the end segment of each stem and flowers arise in abundance from these terminal areoles.
Each areole can produce a single bloom or a pair and there is a relatively long flowering period in early or late winter. The appearance of flowers during the Christmas season in some of the hybrids has given rise to the name Christmas cactus, loosely applied to several forms. Individual flowers last for a few days and a specimen with many buds may flower for several weeks.
Light
Like other jungle cacti, schlumbergeras should never be exposed to full summer sunlight. Medium light at a partly shaded window is best throughout spring, summer and fall. The less powerful winter sun is not so likely to harm these plants.
Marina Welham
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