Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tender Perennial
Cactus
Origin
Southern Africa
-
Types
Perennial
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Number of Varieties
506
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Desert, Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Temperate Regions
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
8-1013-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
10-8
12-10
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
61.30 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Light Yellow, Brown
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Brown
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Gray Green
-
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Grass like
Cylindrical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Growth Rate
Medium
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Drainage
Average
-
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Container, Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Rhizome division, Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Needs very little water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral, Alkaline
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
-
Pruning
Remove dead leaves
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
Any balanced general purpose fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Nematodes, Scale
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
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
Medium
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
-
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees, Birds, Butterflies
Birds
Allergy
Skin irritation
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Ethnobotanic
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Soothing and relieving pain
Part of Plant Used
Root
Flowers
Other Uses
Roots were worn to protect and strengthen the wearer, Used as Ornamental plant
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Bog Garden, Container, Feature Plant, Mixed Border, Tropical, Water Gardens
-
Botanical Name
DIETES bicolor
Schlumbergera truncata
Common Name
African iris, Fortnight lily
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
In Hindi
African Iris
Schlumbergera
In German
Afrikanische Iris
Schlumbergera
In French
African Iris
Schlumbergera
In Spanish
Iris africano
Schlumbergera
In Greek
Αφρικανική Iris
Schlumbergera
In Portuguese
Iris africano
Schlumbergera
In Polish
Afryki Iris
Schlumbergera
In Latin
African Iris
Gymnocalycium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Asparagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Iridaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Dietes
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Monocots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
Irideae
Rhipsalideae
Subfamily
Iridoideae
Cactoideae
Number of Species
3006
1
27800
👆🏻