Difference Between Christmas and Easter Cactus

Did you know that there are varieties of Thanksgiving Cactus and Easter Cactus in addition to Christmas Cactus? Plants from the Cactaceae family include the Christmas and Easter cacti. They are Brazilian rainforest cacti from the tropics. They don't look anything like the cactus that grow in deserts. In areas of high humidity, they can grow on rocks or trees. The Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving cacti are the three species that are most often grown. They are hard to distinguish because they have similar appearances.

What is a Christmas Cactus?

Christmas cactus, or Schlumbergera bridgesii, is a well-known cactus in the Cactaceae family that is grown for its eye-catching cerise flowers, which bloom indoors around the time of Christmas in the Northern Hemisphere. There are six to nine species of Schlumbergera, a tiny genus of cacti, in the coastal mountains of southeast Brazil. They go by the names Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving cactus, crab cactus, and holiday cactus in the Northern Hemisphere. Since they bloom in the Southern Hemisphere in May, the genus is known as Flor de Maio (May flower) in Brazil.

These plants, which can look quite different from their desert-dwelling siblings, grow on trees or rocks in settings that are typically shady and humid. The majority of Schlumbergera species have areoles at the joints and tips of their stems, which produce flowers that resemble leaf-like pads united together. Cylindrical stems are more prevalent in two species than the other cacti.

Christmas Cactus

What is an Easter Cactus?

The Easter cactus, or Hatiora gaertneri, is a well-known spring-flowering cactus in the Cactaceae family that is grown for its vivid red blossoms that occur around Easter in the Northern Hemisphere. Easter cactus has no spines and develops into a pendulous branched plant. The flattened cladodes (leafless photosynthetic units) with notched margins make up the segmented stems. The multiple-petaled, funnel-shaped blooms are typically borne near the terminal cladodes. To develop the best flower buds, a period of cool weather throughout the winter is necessary.

Easter Cactus

Difference Between Christmas and Easter Cactus

The Christmas cactus and the Easter cactus are sometimes confused, although the Christmas cactus has strongly saw-toothed stem joint margins and the Easter cactus has rounded joint stem margins, and are frequently mistakenly marketed as Christmas cacti since they bloom in the late fall.

Looking at the structure of the stem segments and keeping track of what season they bloom is the true key to differentiating between each species.

The following table shows the difference between the Christmas and Easter Cactus.

Difference Between Christmas and Easter Cactus

Interesting Facts

• Being a cactus itself, Christmas cactus is found in cooler temperatures.

• Easter Cactus prefers filtered light and no direct sunlight.

Key Features

• The Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera bridgesii) and the Easter cactus (Hatiora gaertneri) appear to be different varieties of the same plant, but they are actually different species.

• As their names imply, they bloom at various times of the year, but that is only the beginning of what distinguishes these two vibrant and ornamental plants from one another.

• Though they both originated in Brazil's forests, the two varieties of cacti have different types of forests.

• This article helps to understand the difference between Christmas and the Easter cactus. It has provided all the information in detail.

Important Questions

1. What is the lifespan of a Christmas cactus?

Ans: If properly taken care of, Christmas cactus can survive up to decades.

2. What triggers a Christmas cactus to bloom?

Ans: Christmas cactus favours direct, bright sunlight. Optimum sunlight and temperature trigger Christmas cacti to bloom the years after purchase.

3. What is the difference between Christmas and Easter cactus?

Ans: The leaf projections of the Christmas cactus are more scalloped or teardrop shaped. The edges of the leaves of the Easter cactus are extremely rounded and centred.