Christmas cacti are great year-round houseplants, and don't look out of place in the middle of July. They can be passed down if they receive proper care.
What if we told you that the Christmas cactus is not the same plant as you think? Is that a Thanksgiving cactus? It is true. They are both cacti that bloom in late fall or early winter, and are named after holidays, but garden centers often mislabel Thanksgiving cacti as Christmas cacti.
An article from the staff of the Farmers' Almanac explains the difference between a Thanksgiving cactus and a Christmas cactus. Here is what to know.
The Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti are very different.
We will start with some differences in appearance.
Thanksgiving cactus.
The leaves are shaped like a crab claw and have two to four segments on each side. The end of the last segment is not straight.
The flowers look like a long tube inside another flower and are mostly pastels.
A Christmas cactus.
The tips are slightly curved.
Pink or white flowers are usually present.
Why it matters.
Thanksgiving cacti bloom around the Thanksgiving holiday, roughly a month before Christmas cacti blooms. Knowing which type of cactus you have will help you determine when the flowers will bloom.
The Farmers' Almanac says that cacti bloom between March and May, but that the flowers won't be as plentiful in the spring as they are at the end of the year.
