As the days get cooler in the Fall, it’s a good time to start thinking about Christmas plants. Whether as gifts or as decorations, these are the kinds of plants you should plan ahead on buying since any last minute shopping may prove less than fruitful.

The Christmas Cactus comes from a group of related holiday cacti of the genus Schlumbergera. These holiday cacti include the Thanksgiving Cactus and Easter Cactus. Although they may not be as popular as Poinsettias, it’s the beauty of their infrequently blooming flowers which make them the perfect Christmas gift.

The flowers of the Christmas Cactus come in magenta, white, pink and orange. The colours depend upon their variety and how they were cultivated. Some that were cultivated in England as long as 150 years ago still exist today.

The Christmas Cactus are originally from the tropical regions of Brazil, where they are known as Flor de Maio – literally May Flower. Unlike regular cactus, they don’t have the typical needles and what may look like leaves, are actually a kind of stem.

The Christmas Cactus is prized for boasting beautiful flowers that bloom very rarely. It often takes a good deal of effort to get them to bloom.

Just as there are as many ways of taking care of a Christmas Cactus, so too are the ways to make its flowers bloom. In a way, this is what makes them unique. Instead of depending upon a certain amount of light each day, they actually rely on the opposite.

Getting them to Bloom

For a Christmas Cactus to bloom, they require a certain number of hours of darkness over the course of a few weeks. During that time, they need to be kept away from direct sun light and dry heat sources like air vents. Watering should be kept to a minimum. Over-watering often leads to the end of the blooming period.

Under the best conditions, the flowers will remain in bloom for around six to eight weeks. Most people are usually able to keep them in bloom for a week. While this is what makes them such a challenge, it makes one appreciate their flowers all the more.

416-Florist.com is one of the very few florists in Toronto that combines the beauty of fresh flowers with the deliciousness of fresh fruit. It’s a pretty unique combination, judging from the fruit and gift baskets available.

Our expert florists handpick a succulent array of fruit and delightful blooms to create a gorgeous selection of Christmas gift baskets for the holiday season. And because it’s all done at our location right before it’s delivered, you can rest assured that it’ll still be fresh when it’s received by the recipient.

Although we do offer these baskets for a number of occasions, they have proven to be extremely popular for Christmas. Here are our top 3 Fresh Flower and Fruit Baskets for the holiday season, all providing a healthy and unique alternative to the usual gift baskets out there:

3. The Tower of Fruit Christmas Gift Basket is just what it claims to be: a massive tower of fresh fruit carefully arranged in a charming wicker basket, with sprigs of evergreen garnish.

Topped with a charming red ribbon and minty candy cane, it’s multifunctional – it makes a great table ornament before it’s dismantled to be eaten!

2. Coming in second, the Health Nut is for that special someone who’s watching their figure, even at this time of year. Loaded with fresh fruit and nutritious, protein packed nuts to satisfy hunger, the basket also features a selection of delicate flowers.

1. By far the most popular, our Holiday Fruits Gift Basket is a stunner.  This wicker basket is loaded with a juicy assortment of sweet fruit in vibrant colours, with attractive blooms and lush greenery hand picked by our flower designers.

It’s no wonder that it tops our list and has remained number 1 for years.