If you’re looking for a festive houseplant that flowers for a really long time – I’m talking most of the winter, and sometimes even longer – you’ll want one particular succulent on your radar: the Christmas cactus.
Sure, lots of the best Christmas houseplants are renowned for their long flowering period – but once you know how to look after a Christmas cactus properly, the blooms can last for months.
To find out more and how you can maximise your Christmas cactus’s flowering potential, I spoke to the experts.
According to plant experts, Christmas cacti are among the longest-flowering Christmas houseplants, and they're an easy-care choice for beginners, too.
‘The Christmas cactus is one of the most reliable for longevity, often producing waves of blooms for several weeks,’ says Jo Lambell, founder of Beards & Daisies.
With the right care, Christmas cacti can flower from late November to late January – and if you’re really good at looking after them, and nip any Christmas cactus problems in the bud, the blooms can last even longer.
Jo says consistency is key to keeping a Christmas cactus blooming for as long as possible.
‘Steady, light, gentle watering, and avoiding temperature shocks are the simplest ways to keep blooms going through December,’ she says.
‘If the soil ever feels heavy, pause watering for a few days – it usually protects the next round of flower buds.’
Besides knowing how often you should water a Christmas cactus, you’ll also need to make sure it isn’t being affected by central heating, and keep it away from any radiators or draughty spots. A plant humidifier, which you can buy from Amazon for £13.99, can help to keep humidity levels up.
‘Good light, the right amount of water, and some humidity are what the cactus really needs to stay healthy and bloom well indoors during the heating season,’ agrees Andy Little, houseplant buyer at British Garden Centres.
Christmas cactus essentials
What about poinsettias?
Many people assume that poinsettias are the longest-flowering Christmas houseplants, and while that’s true, it isn’t for the reason most of us believe.
That’s because the red ‘flowers’ the plants are famous for aren’t actually flowers at all – they’re bracts, which are a kind of modified leaf. Poinsettias do have flowers, though – they’re the tiny yellow-green blooms that sit in the middle of the bracts, and they're easily mistaken for pistils.
Although the bracts aren’t true flowers, they can last a really long time – months, if you care for your poinsettia properly – and if you know what to do with a poinsettia after Christmas, it could even bloom again next year.
There are plenty of other expert-approved festive houseplants that flower for a long time, too – but the Christmas cactus is a brilliant choice for beginners.
