Schlumbergera Truncata
A plant that flowers in autumn and winter?!
Schlumbergera Truncata (commonly known as the Holiday Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus and Christmas Cactus) starts to produce blooms when temperatures drop and light levels reduce. In the Northern Hemisphere, this usually happens around November to December.
The timely flowers of this plant is what gives it such festive nicknames!
Although it is a cactus, this one is not like a desert cactus. Native to Brazil, it grows in a tropical climate and enjoys conditions quite different from its sun-basking, drought tolerant cousins that live in the desert.
To keep this plant happy, give it plenty of bright light (even a couple of hours of direct light if you can). If you're trying to encourage blooming, you can move it to a slightly shadier spot to help speed up the flowering process. When in bloom, avoid letting the soil sit dry for too long, as the flowers will fade quickly. We recommend watering thoroughly once most of the soil has dried out.
Although it isn't essential, this plant does appreciate a bit of extra humidity, so it's best to avoid placing it near radiators or heaters. You can fertilise it with either a regular houseplant feed or an orchid mist.
