Celebrate Spring with the "Easter Cactus" .: Cacti 101 Articles

Celebrate the spring season with stunning colors of Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri or commonly known as "Easter Cactus." Originating from Brazil, the "Easter Cactus" is a succulent epiphytic cactus, that evolves in the tropics or jungles where the climate is warm and humid. This succulent survives by adapting to growing in trees. One of the great pleasures that this succulent offers is that it grows as a cascading plant, with stems that can reach up to one foot long. You can place it outdoors in a patio or simply make it a lovely addition to your landscape.

Extend your imagination

Take advantage of the warmer climates by adding red, lavender, and pink varieties of this succulent in your landscape or add a container garden filled with these vibrant plants to a patio. You can transform a simple garden in a terra cotta container by including a colorful Easter Cactus. Because the "Easter Cactus" is a low-maintenance plant, you will have time to enjoy the natural beauty that these succulents offer!

Blooming Easter Cactus adds vibrant color
to any garden.

Compliment a ceramic container with lavender hues of this plant.

Differences between the "Easter Cactus" and "Christmas Cactus"

On the surface, the "Easter Cactus" and "Christmas Cactus" may appear to be the same plant. Yet, there are important differences between them. The "Easter Cactus" has foliar segments and no teeth-like edges on its leaves. The blooming season begins around March and ends until May. The flowers are funnel-shaped, not tubular and are generally pink or red, without so many hues. In contrast, the "Christmas Cactus" possesses sharp teeth alongside the edges of the foliar segments. They blossom later, around end of October to early November and last until January.

In contrast, the "Christmas Cactus" has tubular flowers and ranges from white to dark red, shading from dark orange or light purple. The Easter cactus requires fertilizer and more water during late winter and the early spring months when it is actively growing and producing flower buds. The rest of the time their needs are minimal.

Easter Cactus

Christmas Cactus

Caring for the "Easter Cactus"

To maintain the beautiful blossoms of this plant, you can follow the different care instructions during its various stages of flowering.

Pre-flowering stage:Keep the plant dry and maintain cool temperatures of around 50-55ºF until the flower buds develop. After the buds form, you should increase the watering and temperatures.

Flowering period:

Water about once a week and maintain a minimum temperature of around 60ºF. To help maintain the flowers, place the "Easter Cactus" in a bright filtered light. Avoid placing the Easter Cactus in an area where there is full sun, which can cause the flowers to fade. During the blooming stage, maintain a temperature of between 65ºF and 70ºF. Do not fertilize the plants while they are flowering.

Post-flowering stage:

Generally, this plant stops blooming from around end of spring to early summer. You can begin fertilizing with a balanced solution between April and October. We highly recommend a water-soluble fertilizer (15-16-17) that you use every month. Keep the plant moist and be careful of overwatering. With its colorful varieties, you can liven up the spring season every year with the "Easter Cactus"!

Celebrate Spring with the "Easter Cactus"

Related Articles

User Comments