gg's comment spurred me to go fishing, Bill, because, as much as it embarrasses me, I've never grown an Easter / Christmas / holiday cactus in my life, but I wanted to know the answer to your question. From Wikipedia (there's lots more - I didn't know they all came originally from Brazil, though it's easy to see, isn't it?).

.......

• The Truncata Group contains all cultivars with features derived mainly from the species S. truncata: stem segments with pointed teeth; flowers held more or less horizontally, usually above the horizontal, whose upper side is differently shaped from the lower side (zygomorphic); and pollen which is yellow. They generally flower earlier than members of the Buckleyi Group and, although common names are not applied consistently, may be distinguished as Thanksgiving cactus, crab cactus or claw cactus.

• The Buckleyi Group contains all cultivars with at least some features clearly showing inheritance from S. russelliana: stem segments with rounded, more symmetrical teeth; more or less symmetrical (regular) flowers which hang down, below the horizontal; and pollen which is pink. They generally flower later than members of the Truncata Group and are more likely to be called Christmas cactus.

• ; A single Dutch grower (de Vries of Aalsmeer, the Netherlands) was reported in 1989 as producing 2,000,000 plants per year.[26]

Thanks!

That answers my questions, and also explains why I haven't had to do anything special with this plant. We're back to ~11 hrs. of day length after being down to a little more than 8-1/2. Cooler nights by the window and low sun angle during that time also seem to be to its liking.

As said here before, the right plant for the right conditions but the question remains, was I just lucky? ;-)

I've been weening myself off of Wiki for a couple of years now. It's just the idea, they glean all their information from others on the internet, and then want money for it. I could be wrong.

bill

If by lucky you mean that you happened to want to put that plant in a spot that you happened to have where it would perform so wonderfully, then yes.

The little extra watering seems to keep the blooms coming! :-)

:-) Couldn't help to post, double bloom on left. Today 4-13-2023

12-4-2023:

A little late this year. It's just now opening blooms with small buds showing/forming the last few weeks. It sat outside all summer under the plant table. A short period of early AM direct sun only.

;-)

Love all these "jungle cacti", I buy them up right after any holiday when they get discounted. If your Fall climate is not really so cold (eastern zones 7b and higher for example), just leave them out in September and October. Mine are loaded with buds at just about the time they should be given more protection (early November, depending on your zone, but avoid frost of course.)

I didn't want to take any chances, so I take this one inside once the temperatures begin going down into the low 50's at night. Generally, that happens by the end of September here.

Some references say it can take down to 30df.

I just know it does well by keeping it in the mid 60's inside the house at night. ;-)

I leave mine out until the low 40's, never any problems, TILL this year, when apparently the DEER decided to fatten up on them in September!

Good to know. At least I shouldn't be concerned if I leave them out down into the 40's.

Thanks for that!

Deer are another matter altogether. :-)

Don't know why, but deer were ravenous in the early Fall here. They were eating plants they NEVER EAT, fan palms with very sharp thorns on the leaf petioles. On the other hand, rut was minor here.

You never know with deer, and you never say never. ;-)

Deer pruned leaves off my new Hawthorn spring before last. Thorns? Ha!

Somebody has to feed those cute little darlings, don't they?

12-10-2023:

Full bloom. ;-)

4-17-2024:

Here we go again! :-)

Longer days and warmer temps and still ticking. I even open the shade during the day to get more sun.

4-25-2024:

11-25-2024: Just in time for, well, Thanksgiving! ;-)

Fabulous!