Let’s adventure into the world of the Thanksgiving cactus, Christmas cactus and Easter cactus on my second-grade teacher level. Dr. Syed Naqvi, my science professor at Wood Junior College, and Mr. Watson, my biology teacher at New Hope High, would be shocked that I even tried to type those words – much less attempt to explain them.

Schlumbergera is a genus of cacti your grandmother probably referred to as Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving or holiday cactus, depending on when it blooms. It’s a small genus with only six to nine species, native to the coastal mountains of southeastern Brazil.

In the wild, they grow on rocks and trees rather than in the ground, making them epiphytes. They take nutrients from decaying leaves and from their host trees or rocks. They are not to be treated as desert cacti.

The best way to identify your tropical cactus is to look carefully at the leaf stem. Schlumbergera truncata, or Thanksgiving cactus, has cladodes – broad stem segments – with pointed, claw-like projections, almost like hooks. Its branches arch upward before hanging down. It brings a bit of color into your home from late October into November.

A Christmas cactus, Schlumbergera russelliana, has rounded stem margins that are flat, smooth and scalloped. Christmas cactus branches have shallow root systems and bloom better when root-bound. Their tubular-shaped blooms appear from late November to late January. Often, the ones we see in bloom during the Christmas season are hybrids of the Thanksgiving cactus. By controlling the hours of light and darkness, growers can force the plants to add a bit of Christmas cheer to your cold, dark December days.

The Easter cactus, Rhipsalidopsis gaertneri, sometimes called spring cactus, is also tropical and produces bright, star-shaped flowers.

Most of these cacti enjoy bright, indirect light. Water when the top inch of soil is dry, allowing the soil to dry between waterings. If the plant stems appear to have a reddish tint, your plant is stressed – likely from too much direct sunlight, temperature fluctuations or improper watering.

If you spy a beautiful cactus in full bloom while enjoying a delicious meal at Aunt Robin’s on Thanksgiving Day, ask for a cutting. To propagate, carefully snip off two or three cladodes (stem segments). Let the cuttings rest on a paper towel or in a saucer for about three days so the ends can form a callus. Then stick the leaf section vertically into cactus soil. In about 30 days, your cutting should be rooted. At that point, it’s ready to plant in a terra cotta pot, which allows the roots to breathe. It could be the start of a family heirloom to be enjoyed for generations.

Be careful not to overwater. Most will do well if placed in a plant saucer filled with pebbles. Add water to the rock bed when it completely dries.

Many families treat these plants as heirlooms, often passing them from one generation to the next. Some have kept the original “mother plant” for more than 60 to 100 years, making cuttings along the way. I don’t think my lineage will inherit much plant life from me, even though I’ve kept Mama’s mistletoe cactus since her death in 2005!

Former elementary teacher and avid gardener Olivia Sansing lives in the New Hope community and shares timely tips on behalf of the Lowndes County Master Gardeners.