After Midnight

This is the night!

One of the buds on our night blooming cereus is about to open. Most of the year this amazing plant from the jungles of Central America looks like a very ordinary spindly not-very-attractive plant. It's scientific name is epiphyllum oxypetalum.

I first became acquainted with this plant as a child. My paternal grandmother had a huge one planted in a galvanized metal washtub. It stood about 5 feet high. I remember staying at grandma's way past the usual departure time to view the opening of up to three dozen buds.


The large bud on the table will be opening tonight. The smaller bud at the top of the picture will wait until tomorrow.

You can see the size of the bud by comparing it to the coffee mug.

This picture was taken about 10;30 p.m. The bud is fully open. In the jungle the flowers are polinated by bats and large moths. Here we have never had one that became polimated, due to a lack of the proper large insects. The blooms are fragrant, with a scent reminding me of peonies.

This is a closeup of the center of the flower. It looks like a sea creature.

The blooms last all night long. By daylight, they are closed again and their stems are drooping. In a day or two the stem and bud fall off.

Good Night!