Easter Cactus or Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri are easily one of my favorite plants ever. Let me introduce you to the history, care and beauty of this plant.
Overview
Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri is an epiphyte and a jungle cactus that hails from the coastal mountains of Brazil. (Sounds like eh-puh-fite). Epiphytes are plants that grow on another plant without harming them. They aren’t parasites. They just need a leg up in this world!
Would you believe me if I told you epiphytes include:
- Ferns
- Airplants or Tillandsia
- Orchids
- Bromeliads
Orchids and Tillansdia growing on a tree at a botanical gardens in Florida
Each one of these plants can grow on their own, but has been specially designed to thrive growing on the surface of something else. The number one place you will see these beauties is the crooks and crannies where a tree’s limbs come together. Next favorite place is a rock crevice, like a cliffside wall.
Now, you may have heard the words cactus and jungle and it confused you. Aren’t all cacti from the dry deserts? Absolutely not! There is a whole family of cacti that live and thrive in jungle conditions. They thrive in humidity and since they aren’t in the soil but rather growing up where there is airflow in a very loose type of medium like bits of leaf, moss and rocky bits, their roots aren’t constantly wet. It’s actually a rather dry little system for their roots. Even after heavy rains the fact that they are elevated and not in soil means they dry out much quicker than the plants around them growing on the ground.
As for the cactus part, this plant does still have spines. They are longer, more flexible and not really quite as sharp. They are concentrated to the joints of the leaves and the very tips. They almost look like little paint brush bristles. I still don’t recommend touching them.
Heirloom Houseplants
You may not realize but just because they are selling a houseplant in the store those plants aren’t guaranteed to live forever. Many of the houseplants sold today have an expiration day. Begonias for example only live 3-5 years as a houseplant. Other plants like jades and jungle cacti can live for generations and get passed down. They are what is known as heirloom houseplants.
I am working on growing heirloom plants to be passed down to my kids when they are ready. They will each have a jungle cactus and a jade!
History
“Schlumbergera gaertneri (Easter Cactus) was first described in 1884 as the variety gaertneri ofSchlumbergera russelliana). The name honors one of the Gaertner family, early settlers in Brazil.”Shortly after discovery it was transferred to Europe from use as a house plant.”
Other names from this cactus include Holiday Cactus and Whitsun but the name has been changed often through the years you will sometimes see it referred to as these other names.
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In 1913, Nathaniel Britton and Joseph Rose transferred the Easter cactus to the genus Schlumbergera as S. gaertneri.
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In 1942, Karl Hermann Leonhard Lindinger transferred it to the genus Rhipsalidopsis.
- In 1987, Wilhelm Barthlott transferred it to the genus Hatiora.
Today’s modern plants came along from hybrids developed in the 1930’s and the name is finally solidly agreed on as Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri.
From the North Carolina Extension Gardener Plant Toolbox, Rhipsalidopsis, comes from the words Rhipsalis, meaning "stem", and opis, meaning "looking like".
Care
Like all jungle cacti, this plant needs well draining loose soil. Let’s break down what that means.
Well draining soil means you absolutely need a hole in whatever pot you are growing this plant in. When you water, it’s essential that water can flow freely through the soil, passing the roots and is not sitting in the bottom of the planter. This causes so many issues. When the roots are constantly wet they will begin to root and constant moisture causes fungus and mold to grow.
Soil is easiest to compare in terms of cooking! Let’s pretend you have a cake mix. When you add water to a cake mix it gets wetter and compacted. The water isn’t going to easily drain through to the bottom.
Now let’s pretend our soil is a snack mix. You have chunks of pretzels, cereals like cheerios, goldfish, maybe some raisins. If you poured water through this sure all of the ingredients are going to get wet but the water is going to freely flow passed this mixture of ingredients and they will dry out in an ideal amount of time.
Jungle cacti are going to need a loose potting soil that is like a snack mix. I recommend a soil mix that is half orchid potting soil and half jungle potting soil. This will give your plant the best snack mix soil and elements to survive household planting!
In nature these beauties are going to get dappled light through the trees. In my home I place them near a window with a blind. So they get bright morning light and some afternoon light. I try not to give them super direct sun all day long. If I do, the stems are gong to turn redder on the edges and I will need to water more. It won’t kill the plant but requires more care on your part.
They do need some kind of sun. No plant can go in a room like a bathroom with no light and live. You are just slowly killing it.
I water thoroughly every one to two weeks.
Blooming
Ok, now the part everyone wants to know. How to get the gorgeous blooms? The plant needs to meet winter dormancy requirements for that to happen. My best recommendation? Keep your plant outside throughout the warmer months and bring it in right before the temperature dips into the 40’s at night. When you bring it in keep it in a slightly less bright area and cut back on the watering. This hits the three requirements jungle cacti need to bloom:
- Temps at night into the low 50s (degrees Fahrenheit)
- Less sun (this happens naturally as the days are shorter during winter)
- Cut back on watering, water every 10-14 days.
Buds will start to appear early March and onward and blooms will happen from April-June. 
Fun Fact: The ones you see in the stores have been grown in artificial conditions to mimic spring in order to be forced to bloom in time from the holidays. There are now many different bloom colors thanks to hybridization.
The internet claims this variety is more finicky compared to the other holiday cacti and therefore not as easy to find commercially in stores and garden centers. I find to be on par with the others but definitely a rarer sight in the stores.
Sources and other resources:
https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postdetail.cfm?postnum=50947
