Christmas Cactus

June 1, 2017

I have an old Christmas cactus that has flowers opening on it now.  It normally blooms in the winter time.  What do you think caused the blooms now, and should I just pinch them off? 

Enjoy the off-season blossoms.  Holiday cactus plants typically set their flower buds in relationship to short days and long nights, but more importantly is the temperature.  They need to be exposed to temperatures between 50 and 60 degrees for a few weeks to initiate flower buds.  The low temperatures we had in late march could have been enough to trigger some buds.  This shouldn’t hurt your prospects for flowers next winter, so enjoy it as long as it lasts.  .

(September 2010)

Can you tell me how to revive a Christmas cactus that has been neglected and shriveled up? I have tried soaking it in water, but nothing seems to help.

It may be time to buy a new cactus. Even cactus can get so dry that they can't come back. If it is totally dried up, toss it and buy a new one.

All links to external sites open in a new window. You may return to the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture web site by closing this window when you are finished. We do not guarantee the accuracy of the information, or the accessibility for people with disabilities listed at any external site.

Links to commercial sites are provided for information and convenience only. Inclusion of sites does not imply University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture's approval of their product or service to the exclusion of others that may be similar, nor does it guarantee or warrant the standard of the products or service offered.

The mention of any commercial product in this web site does not imply its endorsement by the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture over other products not named, nor does the omission imply that they are not satisfactory.