Christmas Cactus Blooming

Discussion in 'Crops & Gardens' started by Steve North, Jul 22, 2019.

  1. Steve North

    Steve North Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2015
    Messages:
    92,180
    Likes Received:
    5,432
    Like I said, something is wrong here..
    This is July and my Christmas Cactus is in full bloom..
    We are months away from Christmas..
    Either the plant is totally mixed up or it thinks it might be Christmas in July...
     
    #1
  2. Don Alaska

    Don Alaska Supreme Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Mar 6, 2018
    Messages:
    11,062
    Likes Received:
    20,453
    Do you have it in an area where the light is restricted? They usually key on day length.
     
    #2
    Yvonne Smith likes this.
  3. Steve North

    Steve North Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Nov 22, 2015
    Messages:
    92,180
    Likes Received:
    5,432
    Don...
    Just quietly, I kind of like the look of the blooming plant even though it isn't Christmas..
    It is actually outside in this extreme heat and it gets plenty of water..
    It isn't a huge one, but it is very good looking during the summer months on the patio..
     
    #3
    Nancy Hart and Yvonne Smith like this.
  4. Maggie Mae

    Maggie Mae Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Sep 24, 2018
    Messages:
    727
    Likes Received:
    2,164
    Mine is going nuts with new leaves all of a sudden .. I would love to see some blooms too !
     
    #4
  5. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2018
    Messages:
    20,310
    Likes Received:
    42,304
    I love Christmas cactus! How nice that you're seeing blooms now, Steve. "Christmas in July!" as the shopping channels proclaim.
     
    #5
    Bess Barber likes this.
  6. Bess Barber

    Bess Barber Veteran Member
    Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jun 8, 2019
    Messages:
    3,760
    Likes Received:
    7,600
    How wonderful! Maybe you have a unique strain of cactus or something.
     
    #6
  7. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2016
    Messages:
    9,297
    Likes Received:
    10,619
    Has anyone see a Boojum tree? A house up the road from us has one. Only one we've seen outside of an Arboretum.

    [​IMG]
     
    #7
    Beth Gallagher likes this.
  8. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2018
    Messages:
    20,310
    Likes Received:
    42,304
    #8
    Frank Sanoica likes this.
  9. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2016
    Messages:
    9,297
    Likes Received:
    10,619
    @Beth Gallagher
    I would say about 20 to 30 feet, maybe more. We saw our first one in the Boyce Thompson Arboretum outside of Superior, AZ. It was the strangest thing we had ever seen. Just now, looking it up, learned it is in the Ocotillo family, AKA "Coachwhip", of which tens of thousands cover the mountains outside of Bisbee, AZ, not too far from Tombstone. If you care to read a bit, the Wiki on Boojum Tree is good:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fouquieria_columnaris

    [​IMG]
    Boojum tree in Baja California desert, Cataviña region.

    Ocotillo: "Ocotillo is not a true cactus. For much of the year, the plant appears to be an arrangement of large spiny dead sticks, although closer examination reveals that the stems are partly green. With rainfall, the plant quickly becomes lush with small (2–4 cm), ovate leaves, which may remain for weeks or even months."

    [​IMG]
    Ocotillo near Gila Bend, Arizona


    See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fouquieria_splendens

    The Ocotillo gets beautiful red flowers in the Springtime for a few weeks:
    upload_2019-7-22_20-9-15.jpeg
     
    #9
    Beth Gallagher likes this.
  10. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    14,880
    Likes Received:
    27,867
    Our Christmas Cactus is in full bloom, just in time for the holiday season. I divided it last year, so now we have two of them, and they are both blossoming right now.

    63A70F35-F14E-4AEA-9B48-64D95B8BBBDE.jpeg
     
    #10
  11. Al Amoling

    Al Amoling Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2016
    Messages:
    4,555
    Likes Received:
    8,377
    Our Christmas cactus always bloomed at Christmas and Easter.
     
    #11
    Yvonne Smith likes this.
  12. Frank Sanoica

    Frank Sanoica Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2016
    Messages:
    9,297
    Likes Received:
    10,619
    Desert plants remain inexplicable, to me. Majority of cactus and similar succulents bloom for a few weeks each during Springtime, beginning in March. We have had not a STITCH of rainfall in well over 200 days now, many Desert scrubs show the brunt of lack of moisture, after surviving 6 weeks of 110+ degree days this summer, then 100 degree days every day since (almost). Two "fronts" passed through, dropping temperatures drastically, but only lasted 4 or 5 days: today's temps. 49` low, 85` high, some light clouds.

    The other factor is WIND. Sustained 30 mph+ winds have battered everything, these lasting almost a week each time, then light winds, then BIG ones again. This "dessicates" the poor plants, draws out their moisture. Yet, several species began producing prolifically a wide range of flowers about 3 months ago:

    [​IMG]
    This guy somehow ignores the lack of moisture!

    As does this:
    [​IMG]


    [​IMG]



    upload_2020-11-17_16-27-23.jpeg

    These little guys go to town here:
    [​IMG]

    These things are called "Coachwhips", or more correctly Ocotillo. They bloom in beautiful red flowers in March-April only, occasionally turning completely brown over Winter, looking dead. There is an entire mountain covered with Ocotillo, perhaps tens or hundreds of thousands of them, excluding most other plants, outside of Bisbee, Arizona, which lies at 5500 feet altitude, conducive to much Desert plant activity: record temps, high 106`F, low -14` F; average rainfall 18.6", snowfall 10". Ya don't mess with Mother Nature in the Desert!
    [​IMG]
    Bisbee, 1916
    [​IMG]
    Bisbee, 2009

    Frank
     
    #12
  13. Yvonne Smith

    Yvonne Smith Senior Staff
    Staff Member Senior Staff Greeter Task Force Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 21, 2015
    Messages:
    14,880
    Likes Received:
    27,867
    Our large Christmas cactus is in full bloom, and the smaller one should be blooming before much longer. They are so beautiful when they are blossoming.


    158B2290-731B-473F-81CE-162C06BA1A9C.jpeg
     
    #13
  14. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jul 13, 2021
    Messages:
    10,274
    Likes Received:
    9,322
    beautiful cactus. I don't think I've ever seen one except in pictures. Thanks Yvonne.
     
    #14
    Yvonne Smith likes this.
  15. Beth Gallagher

    Beth Gallagher Supreme Member
    Registered

    Joined:
    Jan 11, 2018
    Messages:
    20,310
    Likes Received:
    42,304
    Gorgeous. Mine is loaded with buds so I'm waiting on all the blooms to open. I had a couple about a month ago, too.
     
    #15

Share This Page