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poohbearlvr

OLD FASHION X-mas Cactus, Out There?

PoohBearLvr
6 years ago

Hey. I have put up a request to try and find some cuttings of the very old, or original 'Christmas cactus'. I thought I managed to save my last potful that looked like a nice sized plant, from Hurricane Irma. I got 2 good sized plants growing from the cuttings I received. After growing them for 2 years I got blooms and thought all was great! Well 1 died from the ungodly heat this past summer, and I assume my over-watering, (to compensate for the heat), not knowing this was going to be the year we would get hit by a Hurricane...Irma killed my last one. Just in time for Christmas:(

I HAD one that was well over 150 years old,....it did great up in Connecticut, where I am from, when I moved to south Fla. it adapted and did well, till half the plant just rotted on one of its two huge 'trunks! It was like it had 2 'limbs'. But it just rotted off. I rooted some of the stems, and re-potted the other half, and it slowly died over the next 10 years or so. It never looked good again. I guess it was to big of a loss to the plant. So i grew it and cared for it till I had nothing left. I came in here and asked for help from others, who had very old specimens themselves, and asked for cuttings/segments, to start over, and got a few great stems to start over.

Well here I am, just weeks before Christmas, and the last of my Christmas cactus is dead:( What a gift. Between the heat this summer, the hurricane, the wet season/rain, it just rotted slowly, I couldnt get in front of it. It just never looked good after Irma left us. And sure enough, I am guessing from all the stress of the past season, it finally died.

I have nothing left of MY OWN family's original Christmas Cactus now, it is gone. Generations grew it, and it died on my 'watch'. It was passed down from 3 generations, and since I am the gardener in the family, I took care of it. It did great, till all this finally killed it. I even lost the plants that I got from the cuttings I got.

So I will never have my huge beautiful cactus again, but I would like to grow one, and pass it down to the next generation. I am sure most everyone knows the one I am talking about, but it is the one in the picture below. Is there anyone out there that can part with some decent sized cuttings, so I can grow out an 'old fashion Christmas cactus'....for next year,...this year is gone, but I can TRY for 2018. Can/will someone help me out?


Comments (63)

  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Thanks for the offer. That looks like it. It is your camera making it look darker, unless it is pure RED? The RED one is not the one I want. There are 2 hot pink/fuchsia ones, and they are very close to each other, a RED one and then one other one, that I cant recall. but yours looks like it. Have to try and not loose track of you!

  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    it looks like it

  • kingd Z6A michigan
    6 years ago

    does this look like what your looking for?




    PoohBearLvr thanked kingd Z6A michigan
  • mrsventure_5a
    6 years ago

    My mother-in-law has one; it was her mother's and by the time she inherited it it had been in her family for well over a hundred years. Indeed, it looks very different from the Thanksgiving and Easter ones. The stems are very long and droopy, the edges of the flat sections are rounded, the older stems are woody and the leaves aren't really of a bright green.

    I love my MIL, but she has the blackest thumbs. This is the only plant she owns and have not killed. I am a bit worried about it, though. She hasn't changed the soil in years (decades?) and although it blooms, it looks a bit sadder every year.

    I am getting a cutting this Spring. I know Spring is a ways out, but I am willing to share depending on how much I get.


    In the meantime, good hunting!

    PoohBearLvr thanked mrsventure_5a
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    KINGD it is THE one! 'MRSVenture' I would love to have some if you get enough. I know that feeling of never repotting it. I dont think the one I had was repotted for over 50 years. When I got it, I repotted it 1 size up....to like a 12in pot, it was HUGE!!! It likes to be root bound, but the soil was basically roots. No soil!

    After that, it started its slow decline to dying, it took decades, but the heat here in South Fla. and overwatering it, took it tool. I tried to take cuttings, and they would grow and live for a long time, but if i left it outside, and it rained on it for 3 days, it rotted away! It came from Conn. and grown inside its entire life. Here it was on a shaded northern outside porch. but it would have to be moved when hurricanes came, it fell over 3 times and cracked off 3 huge limbs! So it got smaller and smaller, till the last of it just rotted away. Now i have nothing left;(

  • kingd Z6A michigan
    6 years ago

    I got it from a lady that was remodeling her house and I guess it wasn't going to work with the new look,She did say that she got it from her grandmother years ago.

    I really was not expecting any blooms because the dog accidentally knocked it over and I had pieces everywhere.

    If you can't find any before spring,let me know and I probably can give you some pieces.

    Dave

    PoohBearLvr thanked kingd Z6A michigan
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    I have no idea how FaceBook works. How to find these people.

  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Kingd: I have already been way out bidded on EBay, trying to BUY 3 different plants, and 2 cuttings, of my color of Christmas cactus.

    My OLD one was first knocked over by the mailman throwing phone-books on my front porch, recall those days WHEN we HAD phonebooks?

    He knocked over the plant stand that it was on, my 150yo plant was broken in half! I was crushed for weeks after that. THAT was the beginning of the end of it. THAT long ago. Thats when i found out it was just a pot FULL of roots, no soil!! I am having no luck at all even buying it. I know I'll need it, but I know I'll loose track of you long before Spring. But I can hope. Thank you for the offer, time will tell if I dont loose you.

  • Rob Blomquist
    6 years ago

    Ok, I own 2 big X bucklyi plants I suspect they are 30-50 years old. I am not sure that 100 years old plants exist. I bought mine on craigslist searching for cactus.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Rob Blomquist
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    mine WAS over 150 yo. I have come across 4 others with at least 100yo specimens.

  • kingd Z6A michigan
    6 years ago

    I know that my grandmother had one that was her mothers and she told me that she had no idea how old it was,just that it has been around for as long as she could remember. Grand mother passed a few years ago at 98.

    I wouldn't of been surprised if it was 100+ . I do remember it being beautiful even though it didn't seem to be pampered, repot every ten years or so and stuck in the basement every year for a while to get it to bloom.

    My aunt may have it still,I may have to check with her.

    PoohBearLvr thanked kingd Z6A michigan
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Thought you got it from a stranger when you were remodeling her home? And she got it from her grand daughter. But it sounds like the typical 'specimen' sized/aged OLD variety!!!

  • kingd Z6A michigan
    6 years ago

    Yes I did get mine from a lady that was remodeling , I never got my grandmother's, I am thinking of contacting my aunt to see if she still has my grandmother's.

    PoohBearLvr thanked kingd Z6A michigan
  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    I have one that is over 100 years old. I have a picture somewhere of my great great grandma in 1862 with the original plant. It’s one of those old tin picture things. She’s in a hoop skirt. I don’t have great pictures of it because we are remodeling and the room I have it in right now is too dark so it doesn’t have its usual mass of pink blooms. If you need a cutting I’ll send you one.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    That would be beyond terrific!!!!! Nancy!!

  • akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
    6 years ago

    There is also a buy it now on ebay for $34.99


    Click here

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Do you think it’s ok to ship a cutting now. I live in Utah. This is a gift by the way. Selling cuttings for that much is nuts. This is a terrible picture but you get the idea

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Let me know where to send it.

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Also. This plant grows really fast. You will have a nice looking plant in just a few years. I have several plants because when I repot them I invariably break off some branches and because it’s an heirlooom I feel badly about just tossing th out. Warning. It gets HUGE! If anybody else wants a cutting let me know.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    Nancy i know all about growing this cactus. I had one for 40+ years, it was over 150yo when it finally died on me:( I tried to find your private email address in your profile on here,...you dont have one listed. Can you add it to here ,so i can write to you with my address? And send you my address and email you in private.

    I tried to get my email address to be public, but i cant seem to get it to go public. It keeps staying private for some dumb reason. IF you know how to change it, so you can see it, let me know. If not, can you post yours, so i can write to you?

    IF you are not having a major winter storm, and you wrap it in a few layers of newspaper, and put it in a bubble padded envelope, it should ship ok.

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    I am technologically an idiot. I’ll see if I can figure out how to put my email in.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Try my email now. I hadn’t confirmed it. I just joined so it may not have been set up.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • plantlovr
    6 years ago

    Dear Nancy, . I would love to have a cutting or two of your your beautiful heirloom Christmas Cactus. I do think it is way too cold to send out cuttings right now. I live outside of Chicago so they would freeze by the time they got to my house. I will be in Fl for the next couple of months though so it might work to send them there when this terrible cold snap is over. I would be more than happy to pay for the shipping. You are very kind to offer cuttings to people.

  • Lisa Monte (CO, Zone 5b)
    6 years ago

    Nancy I would LOVE a cutting also if you are willing! I have a lovely 20 yo thanksgiving cactus, but would be thrilled to have a true christmas one as well. :)

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Ok. See if you can email me your address. I’m new to Houzz so hopefully it’s on there now.

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    I have an ulterior motive. If my plant dies I have a lot of new friends from whom to get a cutting! Plant insurance! It really is beautiful.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • Lisa Monte (CO, Zone 5b)
    6 years ago

    I don't see your email Nancy. Here's mine.. I don't mind posting it, if you could email me, I'll send you my address. And I'm happy to pay shipping! lisa.monterrosa78@gmail.com

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    It is a big plant that just has masses of blooms. It doesn’t require much care. It originally belonged to Harriett Pouder from Cincinnati Ohio. Her date of birth was 18 July 1841. She married Charles West 2 February 1862 and I have a picture of her in her wedding dress with this plant in the background. The old metal photo is in a box in the basement or I would take a picture of the picture. So I dutifully care for the plant because it belonged to my great great grandmother!

  • Lisa Monte (CO, Zone 5b)
    6 years ago

    That's amazing. Im a sucker for history so this makes it that much more appealing!

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    When my granny died no one wanted it.

  • kingd Z6A michigan
    6 years ago

    The stories behind these plants are amazing,I just heard another story from my daughters boyfriend,I happened to be at their place two days ago and I seen a Christmas cactus sitting in a window behind a curtain with buds on it.

    The story is that its supposed to be 122 years old and parts are gifted as a wedding gift to family members . He got a segment only because a piece broke off and he took it home and rooted it. He only thought of it as just a plant that has been in the family a long time.

  • Karen S. (7b, NYC)
    6 years ago
    last modified: 6 years ago

    May I pls. suggest it IS too cold to ship now?

    I don't know UT weather at all, but here in NYC, Winter just slammed in w/ serious cold, 19 degrees this AM.

    While these plants are pretty tough, they are tropical jungle dwellers, not remotely equipped for cold temps.

    Great looking plant, sounds pretty interesting.

  • Lisa Monte (CO, Zone 5b)
    6 years ago

    She's in UT, Im in CO. Im hoping the short trip makes it ok! I just shipped an air plant to my sister and it made it ok. Lots of insulation!

  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    Nancy your email isnt there, here is mine, edge33309@yahoo.com, didnt know you were new here. I THINK mine shows anyway, but there it is. It is because it has such a history that I am so desperate to get stems from one. MINE was from my great great grandmother, probably before even tin pictures:)...it was over 150yo...and I got it in 1976 when we moved to Ft.laud. It went through 3 hurricanes, and big limbs of it got knocked off by them each time, rooted then rotted!

    Half the plant was crushed by the mailman knocking it over with phonebooks he delivered! Remember when we HAD phonebooks? He threw them on the porch, knocked over the plant stand it was on and HALF the plant was crushed by the weight of the books and the plant/pot. Nothing to save. By the time I got to this year. I had a small plant left, went through Hurricane Irma, our house was damaged, my yard destroyed, all my beautiful trees gone, lawn ruined by the trees laying on it for almost 2 months, and my little Christmas cactus I saved, but put it outside, and then we had a lot of rain for weeks after that damn storm, and I thought it as under a shade area I built, since all my shade was gone, and it was covered by it, so it wouldnt get wet, it got soaked, and by the time I saw it was TO wet for TO long, it was a mass of wet rot:( Thus my desire to restart a new one. the history and it is Christmas to me. this year it just stunk!

    No Christmas cactus in bloom, it wasnt the same. I will pay for you to ship it and pack it dense, fiberglass would be great, but most people dont have it laying around, so wrapping in newspaper,and bubble wrapped envelope, should work,as long it isnt in the middle of a snow storm,and goes out by priority mail, For $8 I want to get it. I can root it now, to get it rooted for spring and ready for the ungodly summer heat. Have a well rooted/growing plant ready for the summer heat. Send me an email and let me know . Stan

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    We are right in the middle of remodeling so believe it or not I have fiberglass insulation laying around. Let’s try it and if it doesn’t work I’ll send another cutting in spring. If other folks want one later I’ll send a cutting layer. I have one big plant and two medium sized plants so if a cutting doesn’t survive it will be ok.

    I didn’t know about parts being given as a wedding gift. That would explain why all my distant cousins aunts etc had a plant from Harriett’s plant. Mine and one belonging to my mom’s first cousin who is 92 years old are all that’s left on our side.

  • plantlovr
    6 years ago

    Dear Nancy if you are willing to do this with the fiberglass I would LOVE for you to send a cutting or 2 to me at my FL address now. We are going there now. I will certainly be happy to pay all costs incurred by you. My email address is shar-slocum@prodigy.net. If you send me an email I will give you the address in FL to send it to. Thank you SOO much.

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Ok. I’m planning on snapping branches and packing them Monday night then shipping them Tuesday morning while the weather is still reasonably warm. January can get really cold all of a sudden in Utah so I’m trying to get them out before that. If some lives in a distant cold climate if you want I’ll send cuttings out in April or May when the weather warms up. I have Lisa’s address and Stan’s address. Anybody else?

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • rumbiz
    6 years ago

    Hey Nancy. Please may you send me your amazing christmas cactus cuttings. Thank you. My email is rumbi2016@gmail.com.

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    This is a picture up close.

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago

    Does anyone by chance know the name of the plant if it has a name.

  • whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio
    6 years ago

    Nancy, once it warms up, I’d love to have a cutting. I can’t see your email either.


    Rob

  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago
    My email isn’t showing up.
  • Nancy Mortensen
    6 years ago
    It’s nancy_w_mortensen@msn.com. I can send some cuttings in the spring if you send me your address. Spring in Utah is about the middle of May.
  • akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
    6 years ago

    Nancy, it's name is Schlumbergera buckleyi

    PoohBearLvr thanked akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    6 years ago

    The 4 that there were WAYYYY back then, i dont think had names, like 'Sizzle' or 'Christmas Sun', you know NAMES. I only know there were 2 that are the hot pink/fuchsia, a solid red one, and a 4th one that I cant recall the color. Anyone know the 4th color? The 2 hot pink ones are almost identical.

  • akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
    6 years ago

    Poohbearlvr, there are 3 that I know of

    Schlumbergera buckleyi

    Schlumbergera bridgesii

    Schlumbergera russelliana

    PoohBearLvr thanked akrrm (Nancy in NJ 7a)
  • whip1 Zone 5 NE Ohio
    6 years ago

    Nancy, thank you for the offer! I sent you an email. Let me know if you don’t get it.

  • Nancy Mortensen
    5 years ago

    I still will share cuttings. nancy_w_mortensen@msn.com

    PoohBearLvr thanked Nancy Mortensen
  • PoohBearLvr
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    The ones you sent me Nancy, are not in bloom yet. It might not have gotten cold enough to set blooms its first year here in Ft.laud. Sorry I lost your email address to let you know it is doing well. I still have the card/letter you sent me with the sections you sent me. I have lost a lot of the smaller cuttings over the summer, but the big one is doing well. I am watching for buds, my 'new' style X-Mas cactus' are setting buds, but it is not as exciting as waiting to see if I get any from my Old Christmas cactus. It reminds me of my gram/mom, and Conn. These new varieties don't.


    I almost bought a few of the newer varieties, on E-bay. But tiny 3 segment cuttings are over $25-50!!! Named ones like 'Samba Brazil', 'Inca Sun' and 'Aspen', and a few are $99!! For tiny segments. That is obscene!! How rare are these?? So...ill never see these in person, in my lifetime, in my collections.