Christmas Postcard fror December 19th, A Cactus Surprise

Hi there... it's December 19th! 

A sweet antique postcard of a girl collecting mistletoe and a deer.

Last spring, I bought a pot of a cactus that was labeled a Christmas Cactus. I had had one years ago, and thought I'd get another one.

And, at the proper time, it began to bud and bloom, opening lovely coral flowers.

But...

The more horticulturally minded among you have probably noticed... that it is actually a Thanksgiving cactus that was forced and mislabeled.

Last week, just as it bloomed, our local paper had a long article by one of our local Master Gardeners telling the difference, and this was all wrong for a Christmas cactus. And when that was explained, I remembered it was indeed different that the one I used to have.

This is too upright in grwth habit, has "teeth" on the bracts or leaves...and the color of the blooms should be a magenta pink.

Oh well, the article said it would revert to normal Thanksgiving blooming pattern next year.

So... now I need the real thing!

Here is the link in our local paper, the Sequim Gazette... HERE