After 13 years online, Cubits.org is scheduled to be shut down. Please make sure you have the contact information for all your friends, and that you download whatever content you want from this site.
Name: Jacquie (JB) Berger Wrightstown, New Jersey JBsBirdsandMore.com
This introduction should help you learn to identify the different cactus.
Holiday Cactus is sometimes called Christmas cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus or Zygocactus. The "true" Christmas Cactus is an inter specific hybrid of Schlumbergera truncata and Schlumbergera russellinana that originated in England over 150 years ago. It is a common houseplant but seldom grown commercially. Identifying a Christmas Cactus can be done by looking for segments that have rounded margins and no pointed ends, ribbed ovaries and purplish brown anthers.
A segment is the green part growing off the stem. This is one of my photographs.
The anthers are the pollen bearing structure of the flower. This shot came from The Green Thumb 2.0
This is a shot of the entire stem of a Schlumbergera x buckleyi which shows the location of the ovary. This is part of an article called Recognition and Culture of the Holiday Cactus - Paul's notes.
The latin name for Christmas Cactus is Schlubergera x buckleyi, the "x" indicates that is is an inter specific hybrid.
Most Holiday, Thanksgiving Cactus or Zygocactus are actually Schumbergera truncata. The difference is also seen in the stem, (tiny pointy edges on segments) the overies (rounded and no ribs), anthers are yellowish.
The blooming time for these cactus is about 5 weeks earlier than the Christmas Cactus.
All of the above can be found in various places on the internet. If you have the time and want to learn in a more professional manner, please begin to research the internet. It is all there, you just need to take the time to find it.
If you have any questions or comments, please post them. Next post will be about the actual methods of propagation for these beauties.
Very informative! I will be sending your link to a couple of my friends who should be interested in this. Thanks for taking being so specific in your descriptions and photos, JB!
Name: Jacquie (JB) Berger Wrightstown, New Jersey JBsBirdsandMore.com
Thank you NAP, I am hoping to be able to share some information people can use in a manner they will understand them and not be afraid to sound stupid if they ask questions. I found it difficult at times when some of the old timers explained things to me on other sites to understand what the heck they were talking about. I want to make it easy for everyone, hopefully.
JB, enjoyed your article very much. I got one of these plants about 5 or 6 years ago after Christmas on a clearance table at Lowes ".50 cents" and enjoyed for about 3 years. But lost it a couple years back. I think I must have over watered it. Hope one of these days to be able to get another deal like that. They are such a beautiful plant.
Name: Audrey---Doe 41--- Warren South East Missouri I'm a Charlie's girl, too!
I haven't seen any in Wal**Mart for a year or two. I might want to get one from you! How old do they have to be before they bloom? I had a beautiful one, years ago, but my cat killed it!
Name: Jacquie (JB) Berger Wrightstown, New Jersey JBsBirdsandMore.com
Hello Audrey, I know how cats can be. I have a dog like that. He destroys anything but plants. Good for him. I may have to smack him if he did. My plants are my real love.
You can find blooms on the very young cactus depending on the part of the plant they took off to start that plant and did it have a bloom end on it. Usually they bloom in a year or so. Again, depending on their location. My greenhouse is full of blooms on all the babies. My stock plants (the old ones) are not blooming because I cut all their good ends off when I made the starter plants. Also, the stock plants are getting new buds now because they have had a rest and grew some new growth and are not in direct sun. I will be doing a thread on blooming also.
Name: Jacquie (JB) Berger Wrightstown, New Jersey JBsBirdsandMore.com
Hey Char, how are you kiddo? That is one pretty little salmon christmas cactus you have there. It may keep blooming a few more weeks because of this stupid weather and the hybrids seem to like less heat and more light, not necessarily sun. My older plants get no sun except for about 10 minutes in the morning and they are still blooming. All are hybrids too. Charle sends his love to Charlie.
This Cubit has been inactive for several years due to the fact that JB had a slight accident and had to sell all her plants and close her business. She has been slow recovering and anxious to again share her passion for plants in 2020.
We invite you to visit us on Facebook at any or all of these pages:
[email protected] Mostly about plants and what is available for sale.
JBsBirdsandMore
is the older one that includes all the birds and other things JB has been involved in.
HereComesCharle
is the page written by Sir Charles of Concord aka Charle, he is a Cavalier King Charles Spaniel that JB got when she lost her beloved Barney the Barndog that was her constant companion for 14 years. This is a fun page where pets and owners talk to each other about their trials and tribulations.
Roblyn Farm
This is where we all live and enjoy or wonderful life on a Christmas Tree Farm.
You may also want to take a look at some of JBs favorite things
I hope you have enjoyed your visit to New Jersey and if you have some extra time I would recommend you visit the cubits shown below. Great information and lots of fun.
This was blooming in January. 
