Life Span
Annual
Perennial
Type
Herbs
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Europe
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
-
Schlumbergera
Number of Varieties
1515
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Pastures, Woodlands
Coastal Mountains, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
-9999-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
-
12-1
Sunset Zone
A2, 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3b, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Clump-Forming
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
45.70 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
30.50 cm71.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Blue
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Brown
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Fall
Green, Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Leaf Color in Winter
Light Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Very Fast
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Well drained
Well drained
Bloom Time
Indeterminate
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Drought
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Keep ground moist
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
Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Type
Loam
Loam, Sand
Soil Drainage Capacity
Well drained
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Prune regularly, Remove dead or diseased plant parts
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
fertilize in growing season
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Japanese Beetles
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Drought
Drought
Flowers
Showy
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
Glossy
Evergreen
✔
✘
✔
✘
Invasive
✔
✘
✔
✘
Self-Sowing
✔
✘
✔
✘
Attracts
Bees
-
Allergy
belching, bloating, Diarrhea, Digestive Problems, gas, gastro-intestinal problems, Headache, Nausea
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
Demulcent, Diuretic, Emollient, Fever, Kidney problems, Pulmonary afflictions
-
Part of Plant Used
Flowers, Leaves, Seeds
Leaves
Other Uses
Used for its medicinal properties
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas Tree, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Container, Edible, Herb / Vegetable, Mixed Border
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
BORAGO officinalis
SCHLUMBERGERA x buckleyi
Common Name
Borage, starflower
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus
In Hindi
Borage
क्रिसमस कैक्टस
In German
Borretsch
Weihnachtskaktus
In French
Bourrache
Cactus de Noël
In Spanish
borraja
Cactus de Navidad
In Greek
Borage
Χριστούγεννα Cactus
In Portuguese
Borragem
Cacto de Natal
In Polish
Ogórecznik
Christmas Cactus
In Latin
borage
Nativitatis Cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Lamiales
Caryophyllales
Family
Boraginaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Borago
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Asterids, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
1506
1
27800
👆🏻