Thanks, muffin. I was at Shaw's in Cedarville today and didn't see any but I'll keep my eyes out.

Claire

I went to Shaw's today and they had some nice Easter Cacti. I bought two @ $6.99.

Claire

Did you?! That's great! What colors did you get?

These need it cool to bud, I get flowers by keeping them in an unheated greenhouse (where they have so far survived some quite low temperatures).

I have no trouble flowering the crab cactus types in the house but the Easter cactus never blooms unless kept outside. Interestingly, bottle cactus (Hatiora salicornoides) does flower under ordinary indoor condtions; if we are to have Easter cactus in Hatiora also then there is a horticulturally significant split in behavior within the genus.

One with white buds with one flower open and one with peachy/pink buds not open yet so I'm not sure if they'll keep the same shade. Both plants look healthy.

Claire

bboy: I have problems keeping the house cool enough for some plants to set bud. I'm hoping that the Easter Cacti (Rhipsalidopsis?) will behave like my clivia, which blooms about a month after it goes out on the deck in spring when the temperatures are still chilly. The clivia always blooms in July. The Christmas cacti (Schlumbergera) stay out as long as possible and set bud there in the fall.

Claire

Pretty! It looks like they planted many segments in each pot.

The pink one is starting to open its buds:

And I got another one today - I didn't really need a third but it was the only one left, some of its flowers were gone by, and it was drying out, so I went into rescue mode. I got it home and watered and spritzed it, and it's perking up.

Claire