Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus or Succulent
Origin
Southeastern Asia, India, China
North America, Latin America and the Caribbean, Central America, South America
Types
Tropical Fruit Tree
Schlumbergera
Number of Varieties
1015
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
Subtropical forests, Tropical Forests
Coastal Mountains, Humid climates
USDA Hardiness Zone
10-15-9999
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
12-9
12-1
Sunset Zone
H1, H2, 24
7, 8, 9, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Spreading
Clump-Forming
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm45.70 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,370.00 cm71.10 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Ivory
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Green, Yellow green, Brown
Pink
Leaf Color in Spring
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
Dark Green
Green, Dark Green
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oblong or Lanceolate
Toothed
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Growth Rate
Medium
Fast
Type of Soil
Loam, Sand
Loam, Sand
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
Acidic, Neutral
Soil Drainage
Average
Well drained
Bloom Time
Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
-
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Cuttings, Seedlings
Stem Planting, Transplanting
Plant Maintenance
Medium
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Average Water Needs
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
Average
Well drained
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
Partial Sun, Partial shade
Pruning
Remove dead branches
Prune if you want to improve plant shape, Requires little pruning
Fertilizers
Put diluted fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Chlorosis, Susceptible to insect pests and moulds
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
Coarse
Bold
Foliage Sheen
Glossy
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
Antibacterial, Antidiabetic, Antifungal, antimicrobial, Astringent, Expectorant
-
Part of Plant Used
Bark, Fruits, Leaves
Leaves
Other Uses
Jam, Jelly, used in Indian cuisine in curries
Decoration Purposes, Showy Purposes, Used as Christmas Tree, Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Edible, Feature Plant, Fruit / Fruit Tree, Shade Trees, Tropical
Container, Houseplant, Rock Garden, Wall
Botanical Name
DILLENIA indica
SCHLUMBERGERA x buckleyi
Common Name
Chulta, Elephant Apple
Thanksgiving Cactus, Crab Cactus
In Hindi
Elephant Apple
क्रिसमस कैक्टस
In German
Elefant von Apple
Weihnachtskaktus
In French
Elephant d'Apple
Cactus de Noël
In Spanish
El elefante de Apple
Cactus de Navidad
In Greek
ελέφαντας της Apple
Χριστούγεννα Cactus
In Portuguese
Elefante da Apple
Cacto de Natal
In Polish
Słoń Jabłko
Christmas Cactus
In Latin
Elephant Apple
Nativitatis Cactus
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Dilleniales
Caryophyllales
Family
Dilleniaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Dillenia
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
-
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
16
1
27800
👆🏻