The Queen That Didn’t Bloom

| September 19, 2012 | 7 Replies

The queen that didn’t bloom last night is my Nightblooming Cereus, or Selenicereus grandiflorus. The cactus species blooms one night a year, or years, and withers within hours. For some reason, the bud didn’t open.

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Queen of the Night One Day Before Bloom 3/4 Angle

The impossibly intricate, huge white blooms, are protected by long, pale salmon tubes, with sharp points. When the bloom looks like this, it will either open that night, or the following night. It blooms after dark, for one night only.

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Queen of the Night One Day Before Bloom with Shadow

I just got excited photographing this beautiful bud from every angle.

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Queen of the Night One Day Before Bloom Side View

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Queen of the Night One Day Before Bloom Front View

It blooms for one night (see photos of my neighbor Zdena’s blooms in my Queen of the Night post) and is spent and limp by morning. These buds do not like to be handled, evidently, as in my zeal to get some light on the subject, I moved the pot a few times. The pot resides in the shade under my wisteria.

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Queen of the Night the Day of Bloom in Sunlight

By this stage, a heavy bloom was being lifted up by the stem. Monday night it had not bloomed. Yesterday, it had started to open. I moved it yet again, into the sun in an effort to see inside. The stem was probably stressed too much. When I returned from class last night, I found it hanging limp, never having opened. I’ll know better next time to leave it alone, and enjoy it’s stunning beauty from where it is. What unforgettable flowers are you growing in your garden? Thanks for stopping by! – Kaye

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Category: Flowers

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  1. Queen of the Night - Late Bloomer Show | July 30, 2014
  1. oceannah says:

    Kaye, I know you’re disappointed, but even without blooming she’s gorgeous!

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