By Joyce Arleen Corson
Guest Columnist

Joyce Arleen Corson

Out of normal seasonal growth patterns, I collected the “bonsai-size” leaves from my northern red and scarlet oak as they fell to the ground. They may have thought it was time to grow again.

Did we skip winter? Changing to a nonfreezing November, until lately, the leaves began anew and thought it was spring.

My yellow and orange Christmas cacti were growing briskly where I had pushed both to the back with my “house plants” on summer vacation. They enjoyed a summer rainstorm once in a while until I brought them in on a freeze date in September, including a tiny zinnia.

Christmas cactus (schlumbergera truncata) the yellow and orange, is also known as Thanksgiving cactus, holiday cactus or crab cactus. The crab name refers to the leaf-shaped stem segments that have curved, pointed teeth or claws along the edges. The Easter cactus (schlumbergera buckleyi) has rounded edges on its leaf segments. They all originated in southeast costal Brazil in shady, humid forests.

I have a little dark spot on blossom on far right. It is a leaf. There are two plants together. Because Christmas Cactus is actually a succulent it shared a spot in my succulent habitat! Photo by Joyce Corson.

They are classified as epiphytes because they live above the ground in the trees, in areas where branches meet and decomposing fallen leaves and mosses collect. Even though this plant bears the name of cactus, the care it requires has nothing to do with its desert relatives.

The Christmas cactus is a thermo-photoperiodic plant. The formation of the bud is dependent on a particular combination of day length and temperature. In the Northern Hemisphere these plants will begin the blooming process when the length of day is approximately equal to the length of the night and when the temperature is in the range of 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit. Old timers Corson knew said they need to feel 40 degrees to set bud.

That did not happen with mine this year, and they bloomed Nov. 1, sharing tight spots with succulent neighbor plants. They are ready for her Thanksgiving dinner like I knew they would be. I had never seen yellow zygocactus and orange Schlumbergera before and thought they would make a great accent with golden roasted turkey, butternut squash and pumpkin pie. The purposing for buying them last year.

A young boy who lived in the jungle had prayed God to give him a little sign of Christmas in his hot and humid world. As Christmas approached, he prayed even more, but still nothing. On Christmas day, though, he stepped out of his hut to realize that the jungle had filled with flowers overnight. Cacti growing on the branches of the surrounding trees had all started to bloom at the same time. Moreover, with their weeping habit, they looked just like Christmas bells.

And so another Christmas legend was born!