Easter Cactus by Sally Blanchard

Move over those Easter lilies and forced bulbs and welcome the regal Easter Cactus!

Unlike its Thanksgiving and Christmas cousins, the spring blooming Easter Cactus sadly receives very little praise or publicity. All three are Brazilian native epiphytes and actually live in trees, similar to orchids. 

Photo: Sally Blanchard

They are potted houseplants here in Colorado and definitely do not like wild temperature swings or direct sunlight. They need periods of darkness and cool temperatures to bloom. The Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri) has round edged leaves compared to the other cacti. The Easter Cactus needs 8-12 weeks of short days of 12-20 hours of darkness and temperatures in the 60°s to set buds. Water when the top inch of soil is dry. It prefers to be somewhat root-bound in well drained soil that is fertilized very lightly. 

A fellow gardener gifted me starts from her plant during the pandemic and I was thrilled when mine exploded into bloom late last May…..just after that surprise cold, spring snow. And do remember that it really was 25° last May 20 so don’t be fooled if we have many warm spring days then get walloped again. Instead, enjoy the blooms of your Easter cactus as you munch chocolate bunnies and jellybeans and dream of planting your veggie garden in warm soil. 

For more information, see Plant Talk:

https://planttalk.colostate.edu/topics/houseplants/1353-re-blooming-christmas-cactus/