How to grow and care for Schlumbergera at home easily

Christmas cactus is easy to find in almost any garden center or grocery store starting in the fall and continuing into early spring. These easy-to-grow houseplants bloom while everything else is taking a break, so they’re perfect for adding some color inside during winter. Many of the plants you’ll see labeled “Christmas cactus” in the store are actually Thanksgiving cacti, which tend to bloom a little earlier. Don’t worry, but you care about both equally.

These cacti (all members of the genus Schlumbergera) are native to the coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil and grow naturally among tree branches or in rock crevices at high elevations (2,000 feet or more). These free-draining, shady, slightly moist conditions of their original home are a far cry from the deserts where we often think of cactus growing! This is important to know because you want to care for a Christmas cactus differently than other types of cacti.

Here’s what to do.

Where to grow a Christmas cactusGiven its home climate, it won’t surprise you that Christmas cacti thrive in indirect light and moist conditions. Growing your Christmas cactus in a north or east facing window is ideal, but wherever you place it, be sure to keep it out of direct sunlight. If you see the leaf-like pads turning red, that’s a big hint that they’re getting too much light.

You can actually move Christmas cacti outside during the summer – they’ll love the humidity! Just be sure to store them in a sheltered, shady area (you can even hang them among tree branches for a landscape surprise) and don’t let pots sit in water after a heavy rain.