CHRISTMAS CACTUS?

It's Flower Friday and I don't believe I remembered. As a trained biologist I outta know better than just to believe what I've heard. This "Christmas" cactus that I've had for over 50 years I started from a cutting I got from my mother who started her plant from a cutting she got from her mother. This cactus is easily 100 years old. I was always told it was a "Christmas" cactus and I believed my mom as she undoubtedly believed hers.

Last week a friend showed me a photo of her Thanksgiving Cactus. WHAT? Thanksgiving cactus? It looked just like my Christmas cactus only different colored blossoms. I never heard of such a thing. I had noticed over the years that my Christmas cactus always started blooming in early November and continued to bloom through January. Then it took a break and re-bloomed in the Spring for a shorter period of time.

The biologist in me was curious that my Christmas cactus bloomed at Thanksgiving, so I did a little investigating. It turns out that my Christmas cactus is actually a Thanksgiving Cactus, which explains the early blooming (all these years I thought the plant was just mixed up).

If you think you have a Christmas Cactus.......perhaps you actually have a Thanksgiving Cactus too. Check the link to find out how to tell the difference.

https://www.farmersalmanac.com/thanksgiving-cactus-christmas-cactus-73148