Night blooming cereus is a very unique plant with its beautiful blooms which makes them highly sought after by many gardeners.
The night blooming cereus is a flowering cactus that is free from spines or spikes that have thick, broad leaves that grow vines and shoots pollinated by moths.
The most notable feature of the plant is its night blooming flowers, hence its name.
It is one of the most beautiful and fragrant flowers of any cactus and is prized for its spectacularly large showy blooms, between July and October.
It can take many years for the plant to produce a single bloom. As the plant matures, it begins to bloom more frequently and in more of an abundance.
The striking flowers are usually bright white, but in rare cases they are a very light shade of yellow.
The flower petals are approximately 6-8in long, and the centre of the flower has a collection of white and yellow internal parts.
The outer part of the flower looks a little alien-like, with tendrils extending from the outside and stem of the flower.
An interesting fact about this plant is that they bloom simultaneously, on the same night, in the same area, making a great fragrance that permeates around your location.
Once the sun starts to appear the flowers start to wilt and will be entirely closed by midday. The flower and stem will fall off in a few days.
Bear in mind they grow quite large, up to 10 feet high and grow densely with a bush like thickness.
These cacti need arid, dry conditions for soil, as with most cactus species.
During the growing season water the plant, then let it dry out completely and space out waterings, to simulate desert conditions.
The plant does best in the heat, but can use some partial shade rather than direct sunlight all day long.
