Christmas Cactus
The Christmas Cactus is a popular holiday gift plant. Despite the seemingly kitschy connotations of the name, it is not simply a cactus bedecked in Christmas tree decorations, but an actual variety of cactus, scientifically known as Zygocactus.
Fast Facts
- Also called Holiday Cactus
- Scientific name: Zygocactus
- Given as gifts in Victorian England
- Has flowers, usually in pink, orange and red
Origin
The Christmas Cactus is from a family of cacti native to Brazil's mountainous southeast. Unlike the desert variety most common in North America, it is a forest plant with a leafy appearance. The Christmas Cactus descends from a hybrid of different members of the Schlumbergera family, first bred in England in the mid 19th century, where it became a popular gift item.
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