Schlumbergera


After 6 weeks of an unusually cold early Spring, even my indoor plants are now confused about what season that it is supposed to be. The normal blooming season here for this holiday plant is usually November to December. That's late Fall and Winter.

However, we are definitely now (finally) having Spring weather!!!
That's both good & bad.

The Metro had severe Spring weather tonight; complete with tornados.
Things first got my attention during the National Evening News when I saw that the Weather Channel was in town to do a live report. From that time on for the next 5 hours, the only thing on TV was our local weather teams talking about where the worst storms were and their telling people to take cover. In addition to tornados, parts of the Metro experienced 90 MPH straight line winds. A lot of damage was done.

Fortunately, our immediate area was spared. We merely saw some rain with winds no higher than the 45 MPH gusts yesterday. Unfortunately, there is supposed to be another repeat of severe weather in the Metro again tomorrow. Hopefully, the worst of that will AGAIN go around us. I love Spring flowers & Spring green & warm weather & being outside again. At the same time I HATE, HATE, HATE "Tornado Season"; which normally is April to the end of June here.

To keep my mind off the alarm on the Weather Radio constantly going off, I culled and then uploaded some photos that I shot earlier today; including photos of this May blooming Christmas Cactus. It seems to feel it lives in the Southern Hemisphere where the seasons are reversed. While thinking of the subject, I also read an article about the differences between Thanksgiving and Christmas cactuses:
https://desertsucculents.com/christmas-cactus-vs-thanksgiving-cactus-vs-easter-cactus/

This is definitely a Schlumbergera. My guess - after tonight's research - is that this actually may be a Thanksgiving (not Christmas) Cactus. I grow both types of Schlumbergeras & (until now) have always referred to all Schlumbergeras as being a "Christmas" Cactus. Now, I'm going to have to rethink things.

Despite the time of year that it is currently blooming, this plant definitely is not an Easter Cactus (Rhipsalidopsis). That holiday plant looks entire different. My Easter Cactuses are also in bud right now. Hopefully, those will be blooming soon.