Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Cactus
Tree
Origin
-
Southeastern United States, Mexico, Caribbean, Central America
Types
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Guaiacum officinale
Number of Varieties
63
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
Coastal Regions, Dry and Young forest Heaths, Thickets, Woodlands
USDA Hardiness Zone
13-1510-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-10
12-10
Sunset Zone
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
H1, H2
Habit
-
Oval or Rounded
Plant Size
Minimum Height
15.00 cm300.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
20.00 cm370.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Purple
Purple, Violet, Blue Violet
Flower Color Modifier
-
Bicolor
Fruit Color
-
Yellow, Red
Leaf Color in Spring
-
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Summer
-
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
-
Green, Olive
Leaf Color in Winter
-
Olive
Shape
Leaf Shape
Cylindrical
Egg-shaped
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
-
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Growth Rate
-
Very Slow
Type of Soil
-
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
-
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Drainage
-
Well drained
Bloom Time
-
Early Spring, Spring, Late Winter, Indeterminate
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
Drought, Salt
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Ground
How to Plant?
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Seedlings
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Needs very little water
Requires watering in the growing season
In Summer
Lots of watering
Consistently
In Spring
Moderate
Average Water
In Winter
Average Water
Moderate
Soil
Soil pH
-
Neutral, Alkaline
Soil Type
-
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
-
Well drained
Sun Exposure
-
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Pruning
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Prune to stimulate growth
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Fertilize three times a year
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
fungus, Mealybugs, Scale, Spider mites
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought, Salt
Flowers
-
Showy
Flower Petal Number
-
Single
Fruits
Showy Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Edible Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrance
Fragrant Flower
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Fruit
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Leaf
✔
✘
✔
✘
Fragrant Bark/Stem
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Foliage
✔
✘
✔
✘
Showy Bark
-
-
Foliage Texture
Bold
Fine
Foliage Sheen
-
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Birds
Birds, Butterflies
Allergy
-
Skin irritation
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Soothing and relieving pain
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers
Bark, Sap
Other Uses
Used as Ornamental plant
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
-
Container, Feature Plant, Foundation, Mixed Border, Rock Garden / Wall, Tropical
Botanical Name
Schlumbergera truncata
GUAIACUM sanctum
Common Name
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
Holy-wood, Lignum Vitae
In Hindi
Schlumbergera
Lignum Vitae
In German
Schlumbergera
Lignum Vitae
In French
Schlumbergera
Lignum Vitae
In Spanish
Schlumbergera
Palo santo
In Greek
Schlumbergera
Lignum Vitae
In Portuguese
Schlumbergera
pau-santo
In Polish
Schlumbergera
Lignum Vitae
In Latin
Gymnocalycium
lignum Vitae
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Tracheophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Caryophyllales
Sapindales
Family
Cactaceae
Zygophyllaceae
Genus
Schlumbergera
Guaiacum
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
-
Tribe
Rhipsalideae
-
Subfamily
Cactoideae
-
Number of Species
63
1
27800
👆🏻