Christmas Cactus is popular houseplant which people decorate their houses in the holiday season. Their blooms make your home beautiful in the holiday season. People also give them as a gift.
Before picking up a Christmas cactus for your home you may be curious whether a Christmas Cactus is a Perennial or Annual plant.
So, Is Christmas Cactus Perennial or Annual? Christmas cactus is a perennial succulent plant.
Let’s get started!
What are Perennial Plants?
Perennial Plants are plants that live for more than two years(1). They have a short blooming time once a year.
E.g. Christmas Cactus.
The shorter lived plants than the Perenial Plants are the Annual and Biennials.
What are Annual Plants?
Annual Plants are the plants that live only for one year. You need to plant again a new plant in the upcoming year.
Though the Annual plants last for only a year(2), they have a good amount of time in their blooming season.
E.g., Peas.
Why Is Christmas Cactus a Perennial Plant?
Christmas cacti are perennial plants because they can live for more than three years up until 20 to 30 years if cared for well.
They bloom every year during the Christmas season and their bloom last for one to two weeks.
Do Christmas Cactus come back every year?
Yes. Christmas cacti come back every year because the roots don’t die back over winter periods, but the stems do, which means that they can revive the following year.
How Do You Keep a Christmas Cactus Alive All Year?
Christmas cacti will be alive all year through proper care by applying fertilizer, water, and sunlight, but neither in excess of the sunlight and water.
Too much water will make the buds fall off, and too much sunlight that burns will burn the stems. Pruning back the stem will be required after flowering to achieve uniform habits. Christmas cactus need 12 hours or more of continuous darkness every day.
Are Christmas Cacti More Likely to Have Thorns or Spines if They are Perennial?
Christmas cacti are more likely to have spines rather than thorns if they are perennial. While thorns are sharp, modified branches seen in plants like roses, spines are found in cacti. These spines actually develop from the areoles, small cushion-like structures that give cacti their unique appearance. So, in the case of Christmas cacti, the term christmas cactus thorns refers to the spines that protect the plant.
Conclusion
Let’s conclude the post on whether Christmas cactus is Perennial or Annual!
Christmas cactus is a beautiful and easy-to-care for perennial that can last for many years with proper care. They are native to Brazil and grow best in warm, sunny environments.
I hope you enjoyed reading this post.