Christmas cactus

American  

noun

1. a cactus, Schlumbergera bridgesii (orZygocactus bridgesii ), native to Brazil, having stems with leaflike segments and showy, purplish-red flowers, and often cultivated as a houseplant.

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Christmas cactus British  

noun

1. a Brazilian cactus, Schlumbergera (formerly Zygocactus ) truncatus, widely cultivated as an ornamental for its showy red flowers

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Etymology

Origin of Christmas cactus

First recorded in 1895–1900

Example Sentences

For years, my apartment has contained a single Christmas cactus that I'm explicitly not permitted to tend.

From Salon • Mar. 17, 2023

Schlumbergera is the botanical name for a variety of plants that go by many names — depending on when it blooms, your plant might be labeled a Thanksgiving or Christmas cactus.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 1, 2022

But one day, amid complaints, she said: “I get my joy out of my plants, I really do. My Christmas cactus has four or five flowers.”

From New York Times • Jan. 1, 2021

Oh, by gosh, by golly: In L.A., a Christmas cactus is a real thing.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 7, 2018

I pushed my bladder aside and went straight for the Christmas cactus on a metal shelf with a dozen other plants.

From "We Are the Ants" by Shaun David Hutchinson