# Winter-blooming houseplants

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-blooming-houseplants/480512>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [January 9, 2009, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-blooming-houseplants/480512 "2009-01-09T10:11:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 1\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\
**Post date:** [January 9, 2009, 10:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/winter-blooming-houseplants/480512/1 "2009-01-09T10:11:02Z")

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I have some Christmas cacti and begonias that bloom only in winter. What mechanism in the plants enables them to bloom with less light, and prevents them from blooming when the days get longer?