Species · genus Schlumbergera · Cactaceae

Claw Cactus

Schlumbergera truncata (Haw.) Moran

Also known as: False Christmas Cactus · Linkleaf · Yoke Cactus · Crab Cactus · Thanksgiving Cactus

Growth habit

succulent epiphyte

Native range

Brazil Southeast

Reference · S. truncata

Cultivars of S. truncata

The named forms growers keep — each with its own page, each honest about how much we know.

No named cultivars catalogued under S. truncata yet. When growers document a stable, named form, it earns its own page here.

Guide

The species-level account. Cultivar pages build on this and say where they differ.

Schlumbergera truncata is a succulent epiphyte from the humid forests of southeastern Brazil, where it grows on tree branches and rock in fast-draining conditions rather than in arid sun. Give it bright indirect light and a chunky, free-draining mix, and water only when the top inch of the mix has dried — its segmented stems store moisture and the roots rot if left sitting wet. As an epiphyte it appreciates airflow and tolerates ordinary indoor humidity.

Care recipe

The species record — the baseline every cultivar inherits unless it says otherwise.

Care notes are early — not yet verified

Light: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Water: ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d)
Humidity: ai:claude-opus-4-8
Soil: ai:claude-fable-5
Care: ai:claude-fable-5

Light

Bright, indirect

Water

≈ every 14 days

Humidity

Medium

Temperature

13–24 °C

Soil mix

Airy, well-draining cactus mix with added bark

Propagation

Root two- or three-segment stem cuttings after callousing

Fertilizing

Dilute balanced feed monthly while actively growing

Growth rate

Moderate

Flowering

Vivid toothed-edge blooms in late autumn to winter

ToxicityAuthoritative · species

Non-toxic to cats & dogs

Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) — ASPCA non-toxic to cats and dogs. This is where toxicity lives: every cultivar of this species inherits it and none can override it.

Reference images

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No reference gallery yet

A few clear photos — habit, a mature leaf, a flower if it blooms — would give this page its eyes.

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Sources: ai:claude-opus-4-8 · ai:claude-opus-4-8 (range 7-14d) · ai:claude-fable-5 · ASPCA

Kept true by its growers

Every fact here carries its source. Grow Claw Cactus yourself? What you’ve observed — how it drinks, how it holds its color, a name that’s off — is exactly what keeps this page honest. Contributions are reviewed before anything changes.