Life Span
Perennial
Perennial
Type
Tree
Cactus
Origin
Mid-Atlantic United States, Southeastern United States, Central United States, South-Central United States
-
Types
-
Christmas Cactus, Thanksgiving Cactus
Number of Varieties
36
0
40000
👆🏻
Habitat
bottomlands, Depression on prairies, ditches, Floodplains, Riverbanks, stream banks, Swamps
subtropical regions, Tropical Forests
USDA Hardiness Zone
4-913-15
0
99
👆🏻
AHS Heat Zone
9-1
12-10
Sunset Zone
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
13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24
Habit
Oval or Rounded
-
Plant Size
Minimum Height
1,220.00 cm15.00 cm
0
3900
👆🏻
Minimum Width
1,220.00 cm20.00 cm
0
6350
👆🏻
Plant Color
Flower Color
Yellow, Brown
Purple
Flower Color Modifier
Bicolor
-
Fruit Color
Black
-
Leaf Color in Spring
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Summer
Green, Light Green
-
Leaf Color in Fall
Yellow, Light Yellow, Tan
-
Leaf Color in Winter
-
-
Shape
Leaf Shape
Oval with a pointed tip and fine teeth along their edges
Cylindrical
Thorns
✔
✘
✔
✘
Plant Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
-
Growing Conditions
Sunlight
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Growth Rate
Fast
-
Type of Soil
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
The pH of Soil
Acidic, Neutral
-
Soil Drainage
Average
-
Bloom Time
Spring
-
Repeat Bloomer
✔
✘
✔
✘
Tolerances
Wet Site, Pollution, Soil Compaction
-
Where to Plant?
Ground
Container, Ground, Pot
How to Plant?
Seedlings
Seedlings, Stem Cutting
Plant Maintenance
Low
Medium
Watering Plants
Watering Requirements
Requires a lot of watering, 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
-
Soil Type
Clay, Loam, Sand
-
Soil Drainage Capacity
Average
-
Sun Exposure
Full Sun, Partial Sun
-
Pruning
Prune in the late winter or spring, Remove dead or diseased plant parts, Shape and thin as needed
Remove damaged leaves, Remove dead branches, Remove dead leaves
Fertilizers
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer, No need to fertilize every year
All-Purpose Liquid Fertilizer
Pests and Diseases
Aphids, Red blotch, Sawfly Larvae
Red blotch
Plant Tolerance
Pollution, Soil Compaction, Wet Site
Drought
Flowers
Showy
-
Flower Petal Number
-
-
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
-
Birds
Allergy
Asthma
-
Uses
Aesthetic Uses
Showy Purposes
Beautification, Showy Purposes
Beauty Benefits
-
-
Edible Uses
✔
✘
✔
✘
Environmental Uses
Erosion control, Wildlife
Air purification
Plant Benefits
Medicinal Uses
-
Soothing and relieving pain
Part of Plant Used
Whole plant
Flowers
Other Uses
used for making roof trusses, poles, joists, piles, Used in construction, Used in Furniture
Used as Ornamental plant
Used As Indoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Used As Outdoor Plant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Garden Design
Feature Plant, Shade Trees
-
Botanical Name
BETULA nigra
Schlumbergera truncata
Common Name
River Birch
Schlumbergera, false Christmas cactus, Christmas cactus
In Hindi
River Birch
Schlumbergera
In German
Fluss Birch
Schlumbergera
In French
Birch river
Schlumbergera
In Spanish
river Birch
Schlumbergera
In Greek
ποταμός Birch
Schlumbergera
In Portuguese
river Birch
Schlumbergera
In Polish
Rzeka Birch
Schlumbergera
In Latin
Betula
Gymnocalycium
Kingdom
Plantae
Plantae
Phylum
Magnoliophyta
Magnoliophyta
Class
Magnoliopsida
Magnoliopsida
Order
Fagales
Caryophyllales
Family
Betulaceae
Cactaceae
Genus
Betula
Schlumbergera
Clade
Angiosperms, Eudicots, Rosids
Angiosperms, Core eudicots, Eudicots
Tribe
-
Rhipsalideae
Subfamily
-
Cactoideae
Number of Species
36
1
27800
👆🏻