Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Fruit, Shrub
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
South America
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
V. × heilbornii
Schlumbergera
Number of Varieties
015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Mediterranean region, Subtropical climates, Tropical regions
Coastal Mountains, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
9-11-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
11-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, 17, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Upright/Erect
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
180.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
150.00 cm71.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow green
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Light Yellow, Yellow green
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Palmate
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground, Pot
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Vegetative Reproduction
Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires regular watering
Average Water Needs, Do Not over Water, Never Over-water
In Summer
Lots of watering
Lots of watering
In Spring
Moderate
Moderate
In Winter
Average Water
Average Water
Soil
Soil pH
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun, Partial shade
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove shoots
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Red blotch
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Insignificant
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Matte
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
-
-
Allergy
-
Eye irritation, sneezing
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Landscape Designing, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Air purification
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
Digestive disorders
-
Part of Plant Used
Fruits
Leaves
Other Uses
Used in making champagne
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas Tree, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Houseplant, Mixed Border, Tropical
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
VASCONCELLEA x heilbornii
SCHLUMBERGERA x buckleyi
Common Name
Babaco, Mountain Papaya
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus
In Hindi
Babaco
क्रिसमस कैक्टस
In German
Babaco
Weihnachtskaktus
In French
Babaco
Cactus de Noël
In Spanish
Babaco
Cactus de Navidad
In Greek
Babaco
Χριστούγεννα Cactus
In Portuguese
Babaco
Cacto de Natal
In Polish
Babaco
Christmas Cactus
In Latin
Babaco
Nativitatis Cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Brassicales
Caryophyllales
Family
Caricaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Vasconcellea
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
16
1
27800
👆🏻