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A closer look at the anatomy of Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti

Making It Grow Radio Minute
Provided
/
SC Public Radio
Making It Grow, with host Amanda McNulty

Hello, I’m Amanda McNulty with Christmas Extension and Making It Grow. The leaves of Thanksgiving and Christmas cacti and the new hybrid that blooms for both holidays are not really leaves. They’re modified stem tissue, and if you want a true Christmas cactus, that’s how you know you have the real deal. The stems on the others have segments that protrude and give the so-called leaves a slightly spikey edge, the Christmas cactus has smooth, scalloped margins. And then you can look at the stamens, the numerous male flower parts – on the true Christmas cactus they’re purple – and very prominent. All the holiday-blooming cacti have tubular flowers that are filled with nectar – in nature the straight species are probably pollinated mostly by hummingbirds, the ones in the tropics are stunningly beautiful. The hybrids wouldn’t occur in nature and are probably sterile.

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Amanda McNulty is a Clemson University Extension Horticulture agent and the host of South Carolina ETV’s Making It Grow! gardening program. She studied horticulture at Clemson University as a non-traditional student. “I’m so fortunate that my early attempts at getting a degree got side tracked as I’m a lot better at getting dirty in the garden than practicing diplomacy!” McNulty also studied at South Carolina State University and earned a graduate degree in teaching there.