Day 17: The window sill in the back bedroom has a plant shelf attached to it, filled from one end to the other with assorted Zygocacti (that's "Christmas cacti" in the vernacular). The only problem is that they don't seem to know when Christmas is. I meandered back there today and discovered that my favorite and somewhat rare yellow one had managed to thread one of its blossoms through the lace curtain before the bloom opened and now was well and truly stuck. Minor surgery released it from the stranglehold and now it's gracing a spot in the living room where I can enjoy it daily.
In optimum lighting conditions, this cactus will put forth blossoms in rich canary yellow which when fully open, reveal an orchid-colored stigma. If the plant receives too much light, it may lose its yellow tone almost entirely and appear orange or even pink. In the same manner, a "white" Zygocactus may range from pure white (again with the orchid stamen) to shell pink. Other more common colors will also vary according to the amount of light received during the non-blooming period. My other favorite is a picotee form, white with a bright pink margin on each petal.
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