Great as a gift 🌸
Christmas Cactus
Schlumbergera × buckleyi · Cactaceae
How it looks
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) is a cactus with succulent branches made of flat segments arranged in trailing rows. It is spineless, and in winter funnel-shaped flowers in pink, red, or white hang from the branch tips. It is grown as a hanging plant, with stems 12-20 in (30-50 cm) long.
Christmas Cactus (Schlumbergera) is unrelated to true lilies and has no known toxicity to cats. It's a worry-free choice for a winter gift plant.
Guide for parents
Unlike typical cacti, it has almost no spines, so the physical risk is low as well.
That said, the trailing stems easily catch a cat's interest. Picking up broken segments the same day is enough. It needs watering more often than other cacti — water when the soil is just barely dry. It has the quirky trait of forming flower buds in cool, dark conditions.
Details
- Scientific name
- Schlumbergera × buckleyi
- Common name
- Christmas Cactus
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Source
- ASPCA
Also known as
Related plants
Same plant family· Cactaceae
Other safe flowers
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