Unexpected Blooming

After flowering over the Christmas holidays, the Christmas cactus (Schlubergera) is coming back strong with two amazing flowers that show the spectacular beauty of this species. The mix of white and pink colours makes it look like it was painted with a brush. Up close, it has a discernible sheen that looks brilliant under the light.

This is what surprises me about cacti. They’re not the prettiest of plants, but their blooms can be colorful and geometrically captivating. To pollinate, they probably need to attract insects and humans. It wouldn’t surprise me if our own sense of aesthetics has altered this plant’s evolution.

The Schlumbergera is apparently native to the rainforests of Brazil, which surprised me because I thought all cacti belonged in the Arizona desert :D

The tendency is for the plant to bloom around Christmas time, but it looks like this one has other plans. High energy cactus!

Another peculiarity is that it has only produced two flowers instead of one for every little arm. No matter. The red, pink, and white look very nice.

I think the secret so far has been regular watering, fertilizing, and allowing the soil to dry a bit between waterings. I’ve kept it in the tiny pot it originally came in because of its drainage, and so far so good. I read it can last years, and I’m certainly looking forward to it.

Images by @litguru

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