The one I have bloomed back in October with several beautiful large blooms. I thought it was a bit confused and I did a quick online search to learn that there is a Thanksgiving Cactus and a Christmas Cactus. So, I decided I must have a Thanksgiving Cactus. Here is how it looked on October 19, 2025.
It had bloomed in November of the previous year. Here is how it looked on November 27, 2024.
When I was searching through photos, I also found where it had bloomed on February 18, 2024.
The whole reason I began looking through old photos is because the thing is blooming once again! That means it has bloomed twice within the past five months. I decided that it is time to do some more research. I discovered that there are three different types of holiday cactus - Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter.
According to the source above, there is a difference in leaf or stem shape as well as the shape of the flowers produced. To look at the stem shape and the flower shape, I would think I have a Thanksgiving cactus. So, why is it blooming in February?
I checked several online sources trying to find the answer. Several sources mentioned that folks had moved their plant to a place where they could enjoy the blooms more. However, I have not moved mine. It sits in the same old spot all the time. So, I knew that was not the case.
Several sources mentioned that it is a short-day plant and that if plants are exposed to cooler night temperatures of 55° F, they will bloom. So, I'm guessing that we had cooler days and longer nights back in October and that caused the natural progression of blooming. Then, we just had a couple of weeks of really cold weather. The plant sets right beside the bay window. When the temperature outside is really cold, I've noticed that the floor is cooler there at the bay window. So, it probably is not insulated as well as the rest of the house. The cooler temperature there at floor level is probably triggering the plant to bloom again as well. At least that is all I can figure. Here is how it looks today.
February 10, 2026
It has one large, flamboyant bloom. If one looks closely at the ends of several other stems, little pink buds can be seen. So, I'm thinking those might bloom out as well.
At any rate, it was a pleasant surprise to see the bloom pop out. If more blooms appear, I will enjoy them as well. I've always treated this as a low maintenance plant by watering it once per week and leaving it alone. So, just having it live and grace me with blooms from time to time is a big treat!
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