This Week In Ag #144
Much like when a local radio station starts its non-stop Yuletide music, a plant that ushers in the holiday season is the Christmas cactus. It gets its festive name because it starts to bloom right after Thanksgiving. Blooms are triggered by the reduced light levels this time of year. Like all cacti, the Christmas cactus is a succulent, meaning it features thick fleshy tissues that store water. But don’t let the cactus name fool you. Unlike their famous cousin, the Saguaro cactus, Christmas cacti are actually tropical plants that originated in the Brazilian rainforest. They prefer humid conditions with indirect sunlight. They are also epiphytes, meaning they grow on other plants for support, but they are not parasitic and do not harm their hosts. They absorb water from the air, rain, or dew, and take in nutrients from decaying organic matter in their host. In their native habitat, you’ll often find them growing on trees.
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