We interrupt your morning for this breaking news from May Dreams Gardens.
The night-blooming cereus has a flower bud on it.
I had been checking this plant (Epiphyllum oxypetalum) for the last few weeks, desparately looking for a flower bud.
Then this morning, I nearly dropped the watering can when I saw this flower bud, right in front of me, right at eye level. I don’t know how I missed it before.
I’m not sure when the big bloom event will occur, so stay tuned.
For a preview of what is to come, see last year’s post about the Queen of the Night.
See the bud on the right, about one-third of the way down on the plant, at eye level.
(For those who live in Florida and other climates where these are grown outside, and thus loaded with blooms, keep in mind that my plant lives entirely indoors. It’s a bit large to try to take it outside in the spring and would it make it back inside in the fall? It’s also kind of tangled up in the blinds on the one side. It owns that corner of the room.
For that reason, and a variety of other reasons, that’s why even one bloom is a big deal around here!)
Oh! Oh! Congratulations, Carol…I went back and drooled over your last year’s post about this beauty (not recommended for keyboards). That’s something to be really proud of…and here’s hoping the dear plant starts producing more flowers. I too have never seen one in bloom, except in photos, nor smelled it. I’ll do so vicariously.
Wasn’t it the night blooming cereus that your dad had, & when it was ready to bloom he made a big production of it & invited friends & neighbors to come & watch? Also, isn’t it rather smelly when it’s in bloom?. Anyway, good luck with your grand flower ‘opening’.
Oh how I wish I could be there, Carol!
Henry Mitchell and Allen Lacy also have written that the opening of a Night-blooming Cereus is a perfect reason to throw a party.
Since a party needs food… you could use up the surplus crops by making fried zucchini, zucchini sticks for dip, shredded zucchini slaw, zucchini-onion pie, zucchini bread, etc. for the guests ;-]
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
It looks a bit like an alien until the flower is in full bloom!
Are you sending out baby announcements?
–Robin (Bumblebee)
I can certainly appreciate your JoY!!
The blossom is P_E_R_F_E_C_T_I_O_N!!
I truly am in love with the white flowers that glow in the moonlight!! Every year I seem to plant more white!hugs NG
My mother’s night blooming cereus bloomed one year, and she did have a party. Congratulations!
Congratulations on your devotion to such a huge house plant. I have several I’ve been keeping going for years and I know how difficult it can be.
Anticipation leads to supreme satisfaction! Congrats!
congrats on the blooms! I love this plant.
Jodi… you really have to smell it sometime, such a heavy scent!
Eleanor… yes, that’s the one!
Annie in Austin… Yes, an all zucchini buffet would be just the thing to serve those who come to see the flower, or it might scare them away!
Robin (bumblebee)… No baby announcements, but there will be a special post when it blooms.
Naturegirl… This one will certainly be glowing when it blooms.
Healingmagichands… So you’ve seen one bloom? They are quite pretty and almost not of this world.
EAL… I’d love to see your large houseplants, to know I’m not the only one.
Layanee… Thanks, I’m looking forward to this bloom.
Mr. Brown Thumb… I assume you also have one?
Thanks all for the comments and stay tuned for a post when it blooms.
Carol at May Dreams Gardens
This is indeed exciting, Carol! I’ve never seen one in person either, but look forward to a picture of this bloom when it happens!