Selenicereus grandiflorus, Queen of the Night cactus
Truly a Queen of the night!
June is the month the Queen of the Night flowers for me. Over a period of several weeks this cactus produces amazing blooms open only during nighttime.
Selenicereus grandiflorus is native to Cuba and in its native habitat is pollinated by bats. I have never succeeded in hand pollinating, I guess the bats have a special trick ;-)
It is an undemanding plant, but does require its space to grow.
With its areal roots this cactus prefers to cling to the bark of trees growing very long branches reaching 6 ft or more. The amazing flowers are easily 12 inches in size.
If anyone is interested in growing this plant, contact me for a cutting!
I have the cereus but mine have wider petals...dont you love the perfume??...its a real joy to enjoy them
ReplyDeleteI assume you have the Epiphyllum oxypetalum, the flowers are smaller with wider petals and the leaves/branches are thornless.
ReplyDeleteThe flowers on my Selenicereus grandiflorus do not have a scent, they just look pretty :)
I cant imagine how big they are...yes and more yellow....I will post mine as they bloomed too...on my blog in a couple of days
ReplyDeletesooo pretty! I may have this but it keeps getting knocked down by frost and no care!! But..also have the other one with the wide leaves...gets no care, either, but blooms a couple of flowers a year. Perhaps I should move it for more flowers!!
ReplyDeleteIt is my understanding they can not be pollinated with their own genes. I hear they do not produce fruit well in Florida and I believe that to be the reason though it is often blamed on the lack of the proper insects. I think we have some insects that could do the job if given the chance. Maybe get some cuttings from a different region like Cedar Key for example.
ReplyDeleteHello, I am trying to locate a place online to purchase this plant for my mother. She loves odd plants and has quite a collection of cacti. I have found a few sites that sell cuttings but I would like the plant to bloom by next summer so I would think that I need a larger plant. How big/long did your Selenicereus have to get before it had it's first bloom? I am a Naturopathic Medicine student and am in the process of studying for a final, did you know the flower, stems and young shoots have medicinal properties for a weak heart? Thank you for posting your beautiful pictures of such an amazing plant!
ReplyDeleteI am not sure where you can purchase this plant online, here in Florida it is a 'pass-along' plant, neighbor to neighbor, or traded at plant swaps.
ReplyDeletenot sure how large the runners have to be for flowering, I have seen 2 ft cuttings with blooms, and I have heard the opposite as well, a 3 year old plant with no flowers ever.