Zygo Cactus

Sometimes botanical names just make me feel like my tongue is permanently tied and afterwards I just want to have a giggle at how ridiculous I sound.

Saying Schlumbergera is one of those times.

I'm sure most of you know Schlumbergeras as they are commonly called Zygocactus (which was their former botanical name), Christmas Cactus, Holiday Cactus and Easter Cactus.

It's funny how northern hemisphere common names are still used here in the southern hemisphere. I quite often get people asking for Christmas Cactus around April, May as Schlumbergeras flower in the cooler months. The northern hemisphere have Christmas in the cooler months hence Christmas Cactus. In the Southern hemisphere we refer to these plants as Easter Cactus as they are usually flowering around our Easter.

Schlumbergeras were named after Frédéric Schlumberger, a French collector of cacti. When we think of cacti we oftemn imagine a cacti in the desert, these plants are not desert plants.

Schlumbergeras are epiphytes - plants which depend on others for support, but not nutrition - from the jungles of southeast Brazil, a humid area with high rainfall. These plants have flattened spineless, pendulous branches with prominent notches at the margins.

The flowers are asymmetrical in shape and appear at the stem tips. Their flowers are described as inflorescence. Inflorescence refers to a group or cluster of flowers arranged on a stem that is composed of a main branch or a complicated arrangement of branches. The flowers were originally shades of pink but thanks to breeding programs all over the world, the flower colours now range from pink, lavenders and reds through to oranges, yellows and whites.

Like all epiphytes, Schlumbergeras need excellent drainage and do not grow well in heavy garden soil or potting mix. Some people like to use orchid mix; some cacti mix. I like using an excellent quality potting mix like Searles Platinum Mix and just not watering them as much. If planting in the ground, I do add a bit of orchid mix to the soil when planting.

I fertilise them about three times a year with Organic Link slow release fertiliser and use Triple Boost liquid fertiliser about once a fortnight when they are in flower.

While Schlumbergeras can grow in the sun, I think they look superb in the shade. There is a school of thought that believes Schlumbergeras flower in response to shortening day length and that they are so sensitive that their normal flowering can be upset if they are grown in an area which is lit up at night, for example on a balcony near a street lamp or outside light. I'm not sure I completely believe this as I'm assuming the Brazilian rainforest wouldn't be exceptionally bright at the best of times. Other schools of thought believe the flowers are triggered to bloom near the beginning of the rainy season while others bloom near the end of the heavy rain. I think it could be a little of both.

Since we can't replicate Mother Nature, I usually fertilise, water and make sure my night light is turned off and hope for the best!