Night Blooming Cereus

11 years ago

The only way I can justify this as garden junk is for you to visualize the dead jumble of sticks this looks like the other 364 days a year. This Night Blooming Cereus blooms once a year and last night it had 49 - 4" flowers on it. By 11am this morning they will all have wilted away.

These pictures were taken at midnight and 6am this morning.

{{gwi:149298}}

Comments (17)

rachelthepoet
11 years ago
what a bizarre flower! The stems are a giant mess of squiggles-- love it! Definitely "junking" up its little corner ;) Thanks for sharing

-rachel
toomuchglass
11 years ago
That's amazing. Mom nature makes the best "Garden Junk" :)
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Marlene Kindred
11 years ago
What beautiful blooms...such a bizarre thing that the Cereus blooms last for so short a time. Thanks for sharing them with us...we don't have anything like that in VA, so this is a rare sight indeed.
rock_oak_deer
11 years ago
That's gorgeous, I was thrilled with four blooms this year!
amigirl
11 years ago
If you cut a bloom and put it in your fridge overnight you can enjoy it one more day.

Sue
Calamity_J
11 years ago
Nice!!! Thanks for sharing! I'm trying to grow some epiphyllum...which since I can't even get my Christmas cactus to bloom...well, I may not have a green thumb...but the rest of me is green with envy of those lovely blooms you have going on!!! Even for one night is better than what I get!!!
diggery
11 years ago
What a rare treat! Lovely. Am I the only one thinkin you should use that first pic as a 'model' for an upcoming work of art?

just sayin'...

blessings,
~digger
sunnyca_gw
11 years ago
Beautiful blooms!! I'd frame a pic & put it on the wall! I have a strange stick thing that some of it looks pretty normal but then sometimes these strange looking long sticks about 1/8 in. thick with only 1 branch going off at some crazy angle,shows up. Right now it looks petty much like you glued 1 in. green toothpicks all over it. I got it from a friend as she said it was so weird so I planted it. It must like being close to house & somewhat shaded as it looks bushy 1st time in yrs. Maybe it will bloom. That would be a 1st. If I were you I would put 1 of those bloom pics in a frame so friends can see why you keep that "thing" around!! Calamity, use very little water on your epiphyllum . If it breaks off put that piece in shady area to dry out & stick in dirt when it has "healed" & you will get another 1. My white was last to bloom. GF has 2 gal or bigger pots & waters once a month & not too much. They did much better when I wasn't doing much out there so it is true! They are very expensive at nursery out here, a ft long 1 rooted about $12. or so. Jan
laurastheme
11 years ago
OMG!! That is WILD! I've never heard of one of those before.
nonacook
11 years ago
Beautiful!
I have a different variety, with flat leaves rather
than 'sticks' and it doesn't always bloom every year.
And like sunnyca says they are easy to root but
expensive to buy!
sorie6 zone 6b
11 years ago
Would you mind if I posted the pic of the beautiful plant on my Natural yard garden board? They would love it.
tinfoilhat
Original Author
11 years ago
Sorie6
Feel free to use any of my pictures. Please send me a link to where you post it.

Note about the 49 blooms:
Every year at the Tohono Chul Park here in Tucson they send out emails announcing "Bloom Night". They are home to the nation's largest private collection. From their website.

Bloom Night 2012 Wrap-Up
2011Ã¢ÂÂ²s winter rains left the night-blooming cereus plants in the best condition we had seen for many years. Our 21st annual bloom night was a tremendous success. The Flowers began to open around sunset and became very fragrant by about 10 p.m. The final bloom count on Bloom Night was 89 flowers on 42 plants. By late June, the year's bloom tally for 2012 was 146 flowers on 58 plants.

After reading that I'm starting to think that my 49 blooms might be something exceptional.
jeannespines
11 years ago
Never have seen anything like it...appreciate you sharing w/all us GJ folks! Beautiful! Jeanne S.
Calamity_J
11 years ago
Interesting info on this thread!!! Glad you posted this!!! My trip to Mexico(PV) this year, I was at a little family run restaurant, where there was a large tree in the courtyard, and they had orchids and ferns growing all over it...so nice!!!
tinfoilhat
Original Author
11 years ago
My curiosity got the best of me last night and I emailed the Curator of Plants at the Tohono Chul Park about the number of blooms on this plant. He replied that the most they have had on a single plant is 32 blooms. So this was something exceptional.
I am going to be a legend in my own mind the rest of the day.
kathi_mdgd
11 years ago
That's a cool plant and the 40 blooms would take me over the moon.Too bad they don't last longer.

My white epis have been blooming this week,and the one on my front porch the bloom lasted 2 1/2 days,i was impressed with that as they usually last only one day as well.I've never bought an epi at a store,i've gotten all of mine from a community college that holds a plant sale every spring outside of one of our walmarts,and or yard sales.
.I have a couple shades of pink ones,white and a red one a neighbor gave me last year.I've been looking for a yellow one but so far no luck.
Kathi
Marlene Kindred
11 years ago
Well TF...I think you should enter your plant in the tour next year! Wow...49 blooms is amazing!