You can collect Christmas cactus types of multiple colors for a thriving garden, perfect for the holidays. Watching them bloom as the light changes in winter is always a fun sight, and caring for them isn’t difficult. So it makes sense to want to multiply your cactus crew!
There are a few varieties of Christmas cacti, and their different colors add to the display. This species blooms right around the winter holiday in the right conditions. Ensure the temperature is around 60°F (16°C) to initiate budding in mid-September. Then ensure they receive 12 hours of uninterrupted darkness each night. This promotes the most stunning set of blooms through the holidays.
After the cactus blooms, you can prune it and propagate more cacti. Give your new cacti to friends during the holiday season. If you have friends who have one of the below cacti that’s not already in your collection, ask them for a cutting. These cacti are easy to propagate.
While they are somewhat particular about their growing conditions, once you get the hang of it, they’re easy to care for. As epiphytes, some of the most common issues people face are in their soil composition, watering, and getting those stunning blooms to set and grow.
All of these cacti have similar heights, topping out around 12 inches, and require bright indirect light to thrive. They are hardy in zones 10 and 11, but do quite well indoors year-round.
Plant Moisture Sensor
Feeria 1.5L Hand Held Pump Sprayer
Feeria 1.5L Hand Held Pump Sprayer
Traditional Bonsai Scissors 7″
Traditional Bonsai Scissors 7″
Standard Christmas Cactus
This is the most typical kind of Christmas cactus you’ll see at a local big box store. It’s the standard with lovely fuchsia blooms. Because this color tends to be common among other holiday cacti (Easter and Thanksgiving), you want to look at the leaf shape to determine the type.
Pay attention to this! If your goal is to collect Christmas cactus types, look for a leaf shape that is segmented, but not rounded. It won’t be serrated either. Super-rounded leaf edges indicate an Easter cactus. Serrated and pointy leaves come from Thanksgiving cacti.
Other cacti on this list may not have the same kind of leaves as they are likely hybrids. So the leaf rule only applies to straight species of holiday cacti. Pop any of the varieties on this list in an indoor garden with a potted American wintergreen plant for a cheery display.
Ascot
The fringed, pinkish-red flowers of ‘Ascot’ are a lovely sight. While this is not a double-flowered variety, the blooms offer the kind of fullness that a double-flowered type would. Even though the color is slightly paler than a standard Christmas cactus, the shape and texture of the blooms help it stand out.
When you collect Christmas cactus types with paler colors, this one is the star. Sometimes mistakenly referred to as ‘Red Aspen’, ‘Ascot’ was bred by a hybridizer who was one of the only people working to breed fringed flowers in Christmas cacti.
Christmas Flame
What is Christmas without a touch of gold? ‘Christmas Flame’ offers just that with a hint of pink as the petals move toward the center. It’s a sport of one of the first hybrids to produce yellow flowers, called ‘Gold Charm.’ Pop this one in a hanging basket, and watch it trail.
This is one of those hybrids that is more Thanksgiving cactus than Christmas cactus, as it blooms slightly earlier in November. It also dons pointy, semi-serrated leaf segments. But its deep fuchsia pistils and stunning golden pink petals are perfect for any collection.
Christian
This is another hybrid that is more for your Christmas prep rather than the true holiday, thanks to its blooming period. ‘Cristen’ stuns in pink and white with a prolific blooming habit. Its upright habit makes it a great cactus for a planter sitting on a table offset from a bright window. Place it near your Christmas tree in early December for the best show.
The petals on this plant are straight-edged and close to the straight species, aside from their color. The pistils are a deeper pink color, surrounded by pale yellow anthers. Against the pink to white ombre the petals provide, it’s really quite beautiful.
Limelight Dancer
Whereas ‘Christmas Flame’ offers a golden option, ‘Limelight Dancer’ does too, but in a paler fashion. Its petals are lined with pale gold, which fades into a pure white center. The pistils offset this lightness with their stark pinkish-purple coloring.
If you like to collect Christmas cactus types, throw this one in your collection. It’s another upright variety that does best in a planter set on a table or near your Christmas tree. Just keep it away from the fireplace to keep it from drying out. And note that you can find cheap planters almost anywhere for extra decoration!
Christmas Fantasy
Our final selection on this list is an unsuspecting star. ‘Christmas Fantasy’ is a hybrid that actually is more Christmas than it is Thanksgiving cactus, based on its bloom time and its leaf shape. Its peachy blooms are stunning, and set it apart from your typical varieties.
As an upright plant, it’s a good one for your tabletop garden. If you want to collect Christmas cactus types, don’t miss this one! Its deep pink pistils unify the display, producing a salmon-rose palette that is simply to die for.
