Zygo Cactus
Caring For Your Zygo Cactus
It's quite possible that you may have a zygo cactus in your home and not realize it. You certainly aren't alone, as probably the vast majority of those caring for their zygo cactus know it by a more familiar name, the Christmas Cactus.
Whether you call it a zygo cactus or a Christmas cactus, it's still an unusual and delightful plant. In its natural setting, which is the tropical rain forest, and not the dry desert, the zygo cactus lives in trees, needing only a collection of decaying leaves and other debris, perhaps to be found in the crook of a branch, in which to set its roots. Consequently, when you have one of these plants in your home, in a container, the best soil is a very loose soil, consisting mainly of compost and peat moss. A heavy clay soil just won't do. An orchid mix will work well, as the zygo cactus behaves more like an orchid in many respects, at least as being a tree dweller is concerned, than like a cactus.
The reason the zygo cactus is called a Christmas cactus is because the holidays are the time of year when it's usually in full bloom. If properly cared for, the plant will come into bloom sometime between Halloween and Thanksgiving, and the blossoms will normally remain until the coming of the New Year. Short days and cool nights, cool being between 40F and 60F, are necessary to initiate the budding process, conditions found in most homes during the winter months. Once these conditions are met, flowering usually occurs in about 7 weeks.
The zygo cactus, especially the mature plant, is very attractive even when not in bloom, but when the blossoms are out, it can be quite spectacular. You may remember seeing one of these plants in your grandparent's house; in fact you may have an offspring in your own home, or even your grandparent's original plant for that matter. The zygo cactus is a long lived plant, and one that is seldom simply tossed away. When we have a plant that we care for years on end, we seldom have the heart to assign it to the trash heap.
This plant is quite easy to care for and will usually do quite well as long as it's kept out of direct sun, and away from drafty places or heat registers which can have a drying effect. It requires just enough watering to keep the roots moist but not soaked, and about the only thing that's apt to go wrong is, if over watered it tends to drop its buds (waiting for the next dry season?).
As far as propagating the zygo cactus is concerned, all that's needed is to place a segmented leaf in sand, give it a little moisture, and wait a couple of weeks. Then give the leaf, with its new little roots to a friend.
This plant gets larger and larger with age, though never large enough to overwhelm you, and it can always be cut back, though it won't like it much. It's simply a matter of having to be put in a new pot every year or two and move it to a larger pot once or twice. The zygo cactus seldom gets to the point where it can't be moved around. Once you've seen your plant in full bloom, you'll only wish for it to get larger and larger. Just for fun, the next time you visit your local nursery, ask them if they have a zygo cactus in stock, and see if anyone knows what you're talking about. Chances are, some will and some won't, but everyone knows what a Christmas cactus is.