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Christmas cactus
A Christmas cactus is very different than their desert relatives. Commonly found in the rainforests of Brazil, these cacti grow on trees (organisms that do this are better known as epiphytes) and don’t have prickly spines.
Instead of spines, a Christmas cactus has leaf-like protrusions called cladodes. Cladodes are stem segments that hold water, causing them to swell and giving them the fleshy-look associated with cacti. Despite the high rainfall of the tropics, water drains quickly off the cacti to preserve a dry environment.
Christmas cactus only blossoms during the month of December (hence the name). Flowers that adorn the cacti can be white, pink, red or purple, which, added to the absence of sharp spines, make this a favorite gift during the holiday season.
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