Getting it to bloom

Why won't my Christmas Tree Cactus bloom? (and how to make it flower)

Also called Verschaffelt's Opuntia, Red-flowered Opuntia (Opuntia verschaffeltii).

More about christmas tree cactus

About Christmas Tree Cactus

Opuntia verschaffeltii · also called Verschaffelt's Opuntia, Red-flowered Opuntia · flowering

A low-growing, clumping Opuntia from Bolivia and Argentina with cylindrical pads and vivid red-orange flowers in spring. It is remarkably cold-hardy for a cactus. Very easy to grow in full sun with sharp drainage and infrequent watering. Not toxic to pets; physical spine contact is the main hazard.

Plant type: flowering

Watch for — Failure to flower: Usually caused by insufficient direct sunlight or too much nitrogen fertiliser. Move to a sunnier spot and skip autumn/winter feeding.

The reasons christmas tree cactus isn't blooming

Almost every non-blooming christmas tree cactus traces back to one of these, roughly in order of how common they are:

Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.
Too much nitrogen feed, driving lush foliage at the expense of flowers (very common with general or lawn feeds).
The plant has not been deadheaded, so it stops flowering once it sets seed.
Irregular watering — drought or waterlogging at the budding stage makes buds abort.
It is still too young or was checked by a transplant and is rebuilding before flowering.

Feeding christmas tree cactus a high-nitrogen general feed and growing it in too little sun — you get a big leafy plant and almost no flowers.

The fix — how to get christmas tree cactus to flower

Maximise sun. Give christmas tree cactus the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers.
Switch the feed. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.
Deadhead regularly. Remove spent flowers often to keep it producing more rather than stopping to set seed.
Water consistently. Keep moisture even through budding and flowering — drought-then-flood swings make buds drop.

Light and feeding do most of the heavy lifting here. Dial in the spot with the light guide for christmas tree cactus and get the feeding right with the christmas tree cactus fertilising schedule — the wrong feed (too much nitrogen) is one of the most common silent reasons a healthy plant makes leaves instead of flowers.

Bloom season and what to expect

Christmas Tree Cactus flowers across its growing season (mostly summer) and, kept fed and deadheaded, can bloom for many weeks or right up to frost.

Post-bloom care so it flowers again

Deadhead, keep feeding lightly, and many will rebloom; collect seed from the best plants at the end of the season if you want to grow them again.

For everything else this plant needs day to day, see the full christmas tree cactus care brief and its watering schedule — a stressed, badly watered plant rarely has the energy to flower at all.

Christmas Tree Cactus blooming — frequently asked questions

Why won't my christmas tree cactus flower?

Christmas Tree Cactus blooms on the season's growth given enough sun, warmth and the right feed — there is no cold or photoperiod trick, just good growing conditions and a bloom-leaning feed. The most common reason it is not happening: Too little sun — most of these need full sun (or very bright light) to flower well; shade gives leaves, not blooms.

How do I make christmas tree cactus bloom?

Give christmas tree cactus the sunniest spot you have — for most bedding and fruiting plants, more direct light directly means more flowers. Move off high-nitrogen feeds and use a higher-potassium "bloom" or tomato-type feed as it comes into flower.

When does christmas tree cactus normally bloom?