Christmas Cactus vs Thanksgiving Cactus: How to Tell the Difference
Published: September 15, 2026
It’s easy to confuse Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus. They look similar, and to make things even more confusing, Thanksgiving cactus plants are often sold as Christmas cactus during the holiday season.
Fortunately, once you know what to look for, it’s pretty easy to tell them apart. The shape of the stem segments is the biggest clue, but the flowers and bloom time can help too. I grow both, so let’s take a closer look at the differences between Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus.
The Easiest Way to Tell Them Apart
The easiest way to tell a Christmas cactus from a Thanksgiving cactus is to look at the edges of the stem segments. Although they’re often called leaves, they’re actually flattened stems.
Christmas cactus has smooth, rounded or scalloped edges. Thanksgiving cactus has noticeable points along the edges that remind me of little claws.
I find this much more reliable than going by bloom time. A Thanksgiving cactus can bloom well into the holiday season, so a cactus covered in flowers in December isn’t necessarily a Christmas cactus.
Christmas cactus: Notice the rounded, scalloped edges of the stem segments. Image © Plant and Bloom Design Studio
Thanksgiving cactus: The stem segments have distinctive pointed, claw-like edges. Image © Plant and Bloom Design Studio
Look at the Flowers, Too
The flowers can also help you tell the two plants apart. Christmas cactus flowers have a softer, droopier appearance and tend to hang downward from the stems.
Thanksgiving cactus flowers often start out more upright, extending from the ends of the stems before drooping as the flowers mature. They also tend to have a more asymmetrical shape.
The difference isn’t always as obvious as the stem segments, so I use the flowers as a second clue rather than the main way to identify the plant.
Thanksgiving cactus: The flowers extend outward from the ends of the stems before beginning to droop as they mature. Image © Plant and Bloom Design Studio
Christmas cactus: The flowers have a more elongated, drooping appearance and hang downward from the stems. Image © saraTM via Canva.com
Bloom Time Can Give You Another Clue
Bloom time can give you another clue, but I wouldn’t use it alone to identify your plant. Thanksgiving cactus typically starts blooming earlier, often beginning in October or November, while Christmas cactus usually blooms later, around December and into winter.
There can be plenty of overlap, though. Growing conditions can affect when a plant flowers, and a Thanksgiving cactus may still be blooming around Christmas. That’s why the shape of the stem segments is a much better way to tell which one you have.
Why Are Thanksgiving Cactus Plants Often Sold as Christmas Cactus?
Part of the confusion is simply how these plants are sold. Thanksgiving cactus is very easy to find during the holiday season. I see them at grocery stores, big-box stores, and local nurseries, often labeled as Christmas cactus or more generally as “holiday cactus” or “flowering cactus.”
There’s a practical reason for this. True Christmas cactus is a more delicate plant and doesn’t hold up as well to the shipping and handling required to get plants from the greenhouse to store shelves. Thanksgiving cactus is better suited to commercial production and shipping, which is why it’s much more widely available.
True Christmas cactus can be hard to find. I ordered mine online from a reputable plant seller because I wanted to be sure I was getting an actual Christmas cactus.
So if you picked up a colorful flowering cactus while holiday shopping, don’t assume the name on the tag tells you exactly which one you have. Take a look at those stem segments instead.
Whether you have a Christmas cactus or Thanksgiving cactus, both make beautiful, long-lived additions to your home. Image © Plant and Bloom Design Studio
Where Do Christmas and Thanksgiving Cactus Come From?
Despite the name, these aren’t desert cacti. Holiday cacti come from the humid forests of Brazil, where they grow on trees and rocks rather than in dry, sandy desert conditions.
Thanksgiving cactus is botanically known as Schlumbergera truncata. True Christmas cactus is generally sold as Schlumbergera × buckleyi, a hybrid with the softer, rounded stem segments we associate with Christmas cactus.
Their rainforest origins also help explain why both plants appreciate more moisture and humidity than you might expect from a cactus.
Does It Matter Which Holiday Cactus You Have?
When it comes to care, not very much. Christmas cactus and Thanksgiving cactus have very similar needs. Both prefer bright, indirect light and regular watering, allowing the soil to dry slightly between waterings.
The biggest reason to know which one you have is simply to understand your plant and know when you can expect it to bloom. Once you’ve identified it, there’s no need for a completely different care routine.
Christmas Cactus vs Thanksgiving Cactus: The Bottom Line
If you’re still not sure which holiday cactus you have, look at the stem segments first. Rounded, scalloped edges point to Christmas cactus, while pointed, claw-like edges indicate Thanksgiving cactus.
Flower shape and bloom time can provide additional clues, but the stem segments are the easiest and most reliable way to tell the difference.