My Flor de maio or Christmas Cactus is now blooming. These plants originally come from the Organ Mountains which are North of Rio De Janeiro in Brazil. They are epiphytes and forest dwellers, naturally occuring at elevations of 1500 metres above sea level surviving where they can by clinging onto trees. The genus and species of these white or pink or red flowering cactus is Schlumbergera bridgesii. Named for Frederick Schlumbergera who was a Belgian horticulturalist of the 1900s.
In order for flower buds to form the plant must have 12 hours of uninterupted darkness each night after summer has finished. So no artificial light after it naturally gets dark, placing a thick plastic bag over the plant each night can work wonders. Then with a good water supply the cactus can stay in flower until Spring time comes round again. In it's natural Brazilian habitat my little christmas cactus would have been pollinated by hummingbirds.
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