Scientific name: schlumbergera truncata (schlumberger's cut-off cactus). Common name: christmas cactus, thanksgiving cactus, holiday cactus, crab cactus, claw cactus. Origin: native to coastal regions of brazil. Named for the season in which it flowers, the christmas cactus will add a splash of colour to your home even while the leaves outside are brown and falling. The bright red-pink of our cacti stands out against their bright green stems. Its stems, truncated (as in its scientific name) into sections of spiky-looking foliage, sprout out from the centre of the pot in an explosion of foliage. Unlike other cacti, they prefer indirect light and humid air, but are still easygoing- and like other succulents, don't like to be too soggy! The christmas cactus will repay your care with bright blooms and bushy foliage. Light: thrives in bright, indirect light, but can withstand most levels of light from low light to partial sun. Remember, the more light it gets, the less frequently it will ne