Hello,

I do not know enough to answer your question about rooting old segments.

As for it being a "true" Christmas cactus, I believe it is closer to that than the "Thanksgiving" cactus found in stores here, during the holiday season. Do you have a picture of the bloom, or a description? I don't believe it is the "Easter" cactus, but again, I do not know enough to say.
I am including the most overworked link in "Christmas cactusdom".

If I were you, I would at least try to root the old segments. It might work. If you chose not too, would you consider letting me have one of the cuttings you do not want? I don't believe I have anything you want, but I would try to find something.

John

Here is a link that might be useful: Holiday cactus

john
thanks for the answer, i was going to try different ways to root. i already broke off some of the new segments to try and root that way too.......just in case the older part fails.
i got the cutting from an older man who didn't know how long he's had it for. i didn't ask what color the flower was, i'll have to do that the next time i see him.
sent you an email through gw - if you didn't get it.... email me.

Looks like a xmas cactus to me. Thanksgiving have pointed edges.

I agree on trying to root them.

I believe this is an Easter Cactus. It has little "hairs" on the top of the segments.

dawnginn
it does have hairs on the ends of the segments, thank you

should i root in fast draining soil, or just setting somewhere out of soil?

What a timely post. I've got a half doz sections sitting in very shallow soil. I mist every other day...unfortunately, after a month I have seen no signs of new roots. I will be using rooting hormone on half of them and see if it improves production.
BK - great link, much thanks!

Hi Zubababy! If it were mine, since you have such a big plant, I would put it in fast draining soil. But I would also take a few cuttings from the plant, about 3 or 4 segments long and put them in a different pot. Just incase you have any problems. I usually mix about 70% soil and 30% perlite. Keep the soil moist but do not make it soaking wet. I usually just run a little water around the plant when it seems pretty dry, for the first two or three weeks. After that you can water normally. Keep it in a bright warm place. I'm not too fond on misting cuttings, only because in my experience, when you mist it keeps the top of the soil wet and can cause the plant to rot before roots develop.

It's a beautiful plant. I wish you luck!

Dawn

I think this is the old fashioned Xmas cactus, from the rounded segments. If I'm not mistaken, several of these types of plants have the tiny little hairs, I think Thanksgiving cacti do as well.

I don't think this is an Easter Cactus, segments look diff. & often have a darker or red outline on them.

I think the older segments will be more difficult to take cuttings from, seems to me the newer growth or medium new growth would be better to root than the older.

dawnginn
thank you for the information

pirate_girl
this does have a dark outline on it. here is picture closer up, let me know what you think.
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i am going to try and root some both ways, thank you

Your welcome Zubababy. Seeing it close up, it is definitely an easter cactus.

I own both , easter & xmas cactus.....this is an x-mas cactus. I've had no luck rooting either....I'm great with growing plants, especially epies, they root easily....sorry I can't be of more help... :0)

Here is a link that might be useful: to tell the difference article

My vote goes for "Easter" cactus or rhispalidopsis/hatiora and not the old fashioned Christmas cactus. I too have both and have seen that article you mention nicole, but I still say it is a rhips. If it blooms, that will be the deciding factor as the flowers are definitely distinct from each other.

Patty

Oh my gosh Patti, how nice. Makes me want to come live w/ those bloomers. That middle one looks like Thankgsviging to me, from the more jagged segments. Happy & healthy all!

Gee w/ Zuba, that closer up pic & the darker edges, now I'm not sure, bloom will have to be the definitive answer.

I haven't grown them all & think I'd best defer judgment to those who have (like Patti).

Patty, thats a beautiful pink Easter cactus. I have red, purple and white but have not been fortunate enough to find a pink one yet. You are lucky to have them all bloom at once. I haven't been that lucky yet.

Great pictures!

patty, those are pretty pics.

i'm hoping that rooting will be successful so that i can see the flowers some day :)

Very nice flowers, Patty.

Do all Easter cactus have the dark edging on the pads? Is this how you tell them from the smoothed edged Schlumbergera, when no blooms are present? Are there any other clues?

Thanks,
John

Hi John,

I have seen some Easter Cactus that don't have the dark edging but I am not sure how much the level of light affects that or not. I find that the Easter cactus tend to have more oval shaped cladophyls or segments.

Here's another pic with some stem comparisons:

1) Rhipsalidopsis with very large segments
2) Rhipsalidopsis
3) Hatiora rosea
4) old fashioned schlumbergera buckleyii type
5) three examples of the newer schlumbergera buckleyii types with more of the truncata shape (or claw or Thanksgiving) type segments.

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Patty

Patty,

Thank you very, very much for that photo (I have it in my schlum folder now). It shows the differences more clearly than anything I have found online. I have stared at pictures of CC and Easter cactus until I am sick of looking at them. I probably still can't tell without a flower present, but at least I have a much better idea of what to look for.

Zubababy,

Forgive me for jumping into your thread. but this matter is of some interest to me.

John

thank you patty for the pics, very informative. i'm going to have to clip that post for future reference.

john, doesn't bother me any - i'm not much of a talker, so it helps me out :)

I've successfully rooted the christmas/thanksgiving cactus several times. My mother got several cuttings of a similar type a while ago. She got them in large branches. It seems that from both my and her experiances I would say the success rate on the woody parts of the cactus are much much lower. It seems the larger/older the parts of the cactus you are trying to root--the more likely you are to have rot and longer it will take to become established. I think it can be done but you really need optimal conditions. Bright light, not super high humidity, small container.

I find the most success with 1-2 segment tip cuttings, pushed in about 1/3 of the length to a good seed mix (sometimes they mix a fungiside into it to lower to likelihood of rot) in a smallish container. Water well once, don't water again until you can pull lightly and feel roots formed.

Hope this helps!

just wanted to give an update on the cuttings.
i was able to root both the old growth and younger growth cuttings.
the younger growth cuttings had new growth faster, but i like the new growth on the woody cuttings better :). i put many cutting all over the house in various pots, and almost all of them rooted. now i just need to go gather them all up, and put them together :)
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thanks to everyone for helping me root this Easter cactus.

Just wondering how this came out~~ did they grow and bloom?

Hi everyone! I guess I am going about this back-asswards lol. My name is Gail, and I am a plantoholic :-) I found this site while researching the difference[s] between a Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter cactus. Am more confused than when I started :-) I have 4 cacti. 3 I know to be the schlumbergera type. The 4th, well no clue.The pic I am uploading appears to be an Easter/Spring cactus to me, but the leaves are rounder than the ones I see on the net. Also, it appears that I have 4 or 5 seed pods on it, if anyone has experience with how to take the pods and translate them into plants I would be all ears [eyes] TIA and Hi :-)

Anyone trading these lovelies? I have an older-type Christmas cactus, fuchsia-like pink blooms. I'm also a plantaholic and need more holiday cacti!!!!! I love them, as they are so easy to care for, and they love me, so we get along wonderfully. I saw a gorgeous one, "Bridgeport," must have! I also found out there are yellow flowering Christmas cactus, would love some of that. Thank you, Patty, for the pics with identifiers!!! And I love the pics of the three pink blooms . . . that pink Easter cactus is lovely!!!!

Q_G,
I have white, yellow, peach, pink, red and a multicolored one. I would be happy to send you a start of whatever color you would like after they drop their blooms and go dormant. I also have Hatiora rosea. I have Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter cacti. Hell, I probably have Halloween cactus....LOL

The pic is of my yellow's bloom two days ago.