8 Facts About Christmas Cactus

1. Christmas cactus flowers best when slightly potbound and doesn’t often need repotting. (Once every three years at the very most.) If you do repot your cactus, do so when it’s no longer blooming.

2. Allan Cunningham was the first botanist to collect and document Christmas cactus during an expedition to Brazil in the early 1800s.

3. Two great spots to enjoy the cascading stems of a blooming Christmas cactus during the holidays are right on the table or hanging from above.

4. Get your cactus blooming by keeping it in uninterrupted darkness for 14 hours.

5. Christmas cacti tolerate cool indoor temperatures, but require at least 50 degree Fahrenheit.

6. Share your Christmas cactus with friends and family by burying a three-segment-long stem in well-drained potting mix. Water sparingly and it should take root in about four weeks.

7. Christmas cacti are popular indoor plants, but can be grown outdoors in zones 9 to 11.

8. With proper care, Christmas cacti can live for decades. One Montana family has passed down the same Christmas cactus for over 145 years!