Epiphyllum Species, Dutchman's Pipe Cactus, Night Blooming Cereus
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Family: | Cactaceae (kak-TAY-see-ee) (Info) |
Genus: | Epiphyllum (ep-ih-FYE-lum) (Info) |
Species: | oxypetalum (oks-ee-PET-al-um) (Info) |

Category:
Cactus and Succulents
Water Requirements:
Average Water Needs; Water regularly; do not overwater
Sun Exposure:
Sun to Partial Shade
Light Shade
Foliage:
Evergreen
Foliage Color:
Height:
8-10 ft. (2.4-3 m)
Spacing:
18-24 in. (45-60 cm)
24-36 in. (60-90 cm)
Hardiness:
USDA Zone 11: above 4.5 °C (40 °F)
Where to Grow:
Suitable for growing in containers
Danger:
N/A
Bloom Color:
White/Near White
Bloom Characteristics:
Flowers are fragrant
Bloom Size:
Bloom Time:
Mid Spring
Late Spring/Early Summer
Mid Summer
Late Summer/Early Fall
Other details:
Soil pH requirements:
5.1 to 5.5 (strongly acidic)
5.6 to 6.0 (acidic)
6.1 to 6.5 (mildly acidic)
Patent Information:
Non-patented
Propagation Methods:
By dividing rhizomes, tubers, corms or bulbs (including offsets)
From leaf cuttings
From herbaceous stem cuttings
Allow cut surface to callous over before planting
Seed Collecting:
N/A: plant does not set seed, flowers are sterile, or plants will not come true from seed
Regional
This plant is said to grow outdoors in the following regions:
Arley, Alabama
Boaz, Alabama
Daphne, Alabama
Gurley, Alabama
Jones, Alabama
Trinity, Alabama
Vincent, Alabama
Anchorage, Alaska
Goodyear, Arizona
Litchfield Park, Arizona
Phoenix, Arizona
Queen Creek, Arizona
Scottsdale, Arizona
Yuma, Arizona
Belvedere Tiburon, California
Burbank, California
Carlsbad, California
Cerritos, California
Clayton, California
Clovis, California
Concow, California
Corona, California
Crestline, California
Downey, California
Elk Grove, California
Encinitas, California
Fairfield, California
Hayward, California
Lancaster, California
Loma Linda, California
Lompoc, California
Long Beach, California(3 reports)
Los Angeles, California
Mission Viejo, California
Montebello, California
Oceanside, California
Oroville, California
Riverside, California
San Diego, California(4 reports)
Santa Rosa, California
Spring Valley, California
Thermalito, California
Thousand Oaks, California
Tulare, California
Union City, California
Westminster, California
Denver, Colorado
New Haven, Connecticut
Anthony, Florida
Bartow, Florida
Big Pine Key, Florida
Brandon, Florida(2 reports)
Brooksville, Florida(2 reports)
Clearwater, Florida(2 reports)
Cocoa, Florida
Daytona Beach, Florida
Delray Beach, Florida
Dunedin, Florida
Dunnellon, Florida
Edgewater, Florida
Englewood, Florida
Fernandina Beach, Florida
Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Fountain, Florida
Gainesville, Florida
Jacksonville, Florida(3 reports)
Key Colony Beach, Florida
Lakeland, Florida(2 reports)
Largo, Florida
Maitland, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami Beach, Florida
Niceville, Florida
Ocala, Florida(2 reports)
Orange Park, Florida
Orlando, Florida(3 reports)
Palm Bay, Florida
Pensacola, Florida(2 reports)
Plant City, Florida
Port Orange, Florida
Port Saint Lucie, Florida
Punta Gorda, Florida
Safety Harbor, Florida
Saint Augustine, Florida(2 reports)
Saint Petersburg, Florida
Sarasota, Florida
Spring Hill, Florida
Tallahassee, Florida
Tampa, Florida(2 reports)
Venice, Florida
Wellborn, Florida
Yulee, Florida
Zephyrhills, Florida
Albany, Georgia
Colbert, Georgia
Hephzibah, Georgia
Jesup, Georgia
Lawrenceville, Georgia
Norcross, Georgia(2 reports)
Honomu, Hawaii
Chicago, Illinois
Red Bud, Illinois
Clarksville, Indiana
Columbia City, Indiana
Columbus, Indiana
Jasper, Indiana
Marion, Indiana
Davenport, Iowa
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Benton, Louisiana
Bogalusa, Louisiana
Covington, Louisiana
Deridder, Louisiana
Duplessis, Louisiana
Gretna, Louisiana
Hammond, Louisiana(2 reports)
Homer, Louisiana
Kenner, Louisiana
Mandeville, Louisiana
New Orleans, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana
Sulphur, Louisiana
Zachary, Louisiana
Lewiston, Maine
Baltimore, Maryland
Cumberland, Maryland
Quincy, Massachusetts(2 reports)
Wayland, Massachusetts
Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
White Pigeon, Michigan
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Florence, Mississippi
Gulfport, Mississippi
Leakesville, Mississippi
Long Beach, Mississippi
Mendenhall, Mississippi
Natchez, Mississippi
Pontotoc, Mississippi
Tupelo, Mississippi
Roca, Nebraska
Sparks, Nevada
Neptune, New Jersey
Oaklyn, New Jersey
Spring Lake, New Jersey
Whiting, New Jersey
Albuquerque, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico(2 reports)
Brooklyn, New York(2 reports)
New York City, New York
Calabash, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina
Indian Trail, North Carolina
Leland, North Carolina
Oak Island, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Shallotte, North Carolina
Whittier, North Carolina
Cincinnati, Ohio(2 reports)
Ironton, Ohio
Perrysburg, Ohio
Wapakoneta, Ohio
Wheelersburg, Ohio
Zanesville, Ohio
Panama, Oklahoma
Corvallis, Oregon
Grants Pass, Oregon
Silverton, Oregon
Coal Center, Pennsylvania
Ford City, Pennsylvania
Glassport, Pennsylvania
Greensburg, Pennsylvania
Mc Keesport, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Charleston, South Carolina
Columbia, South Carolina
Conway, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
Fort Mill, South Carolina
Laurens, South Carolina
Murrells Inlet, South Carolina
Ninety Six, South Carolina
Pawleys Island, South Carolina
Pelion, South Carolina
Santee, South Carolina
Seneca, South Carolina
Spartanburg, South Carolina(2 reports)
Summerville, South Carolina
Bolivar, Tennessee
Brentwood, Tennessee
Columbia, Tennessee
Hendersonville, Tennessee
La Follette, Tennessee
Lenoir City, Tennessee
Readyville, Tennessee
Sevierville, Tennessee
Speedwell, Tennessee
Austin, Texas(3 reports)
Bay City, Texas
Baytown, Texas(2 reports)
Beaumont, Texas
Brazoria, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dickinson, Texas
Elgin, Texas
Elkhart, Texas
Fredericksburg, Texas
Hamilton, Texas
Harlingen, Texas
Houston, Texas(6 reports)
Manor, Texas
Mc Kinney, Texas
Mcallen, Texas
Mont Belvieu, Texas
Nederland, Texas
Plano, Texas(2 reports)
Richmond, Texas(2 reports)
Rockport, Texas
Rosenberg, Texas
San Antonio, Texas
Spring, Texas
Spring Branch, Texas
Tomball, Texas
Galax, Virginia
Leesburg, Virginia
South Boston, Virginia
Staunton, Virginia
Olympia, Washington
Shelton, Washington
Skokomish, Washington
Tacoma, Washington
Canvas, West Virginia
Fairmont, West Virginia
Neenah, Wisconsin
Oshkosh, Wisconsin
Twin Lakes, Wisconsin
show allGardeners' Notes:
Rating | Content |
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Positive | On Jun 21, 2017, Lauriewood from Pawleys Island, SC wrote: My husband had this plant when I married him. I knew little about it. It did not bloom the first few years. It has bloomed wonderfully the past few years, however. |
Positive | On Mar 13, 2017, smileclick from Sydney, Another night flowering cactus i've come across with a strong fragrance is Epiphyllum anguliger (it has a strong citrus fragrance). It has smaller flowers, interesting zig zag leaves and also seems to flower more when root bound. Mine started flowering late summer with repeat blooms every few weeks into autumn. |
Neutral | On Nov 22, 2015, tararene223 from Spring, TX wrote: My night blooming cereus is in a pot and growing up a tree. If I remember correctly it is more of a dragon fruit cactus, but without being able to produce fruit. However, the top of the pot has recently been invaded by a massive colony of ants. How do I get rid of the ants without killing the potted night bloom? |
Positive | On Sep 25, 2015, Klio35 from Westminster, CA wrote: I was given a small plant about 7 yrs ago. Because I live in So. Calif. with the hot summers, I put it on the shady side of my patio. Year after year, nothing happened. (I never repotted or fertilized it.) |
Positive | On Sep 2, 2015, DracoVolans from Crestline, CA (Zone 8b) wrote: I'm a scavenger/rescuer. People throw out perfectly good plants that just need a bit of love to come back from looking like death. I found my Night Bloomer discarded on an apartment lawn, totally dried out, but still showing green. I passed it for several days, and no one seemed to be taking care of it, and it was getting crispy, so I took it home, re-potted it, gave it a bit of a trim to remove the dead stuff and watered it. Fast-forward to five years later. My care was probably not the best, as I wasn't sure what I had, so it took a long time to bloom for me. First blossom was last year: big, white and gorgeous. Only one, pity, but it smelled great. Well, it bloomed again last night and I'm so happy to know it's doing okay. I have a cutting of it in another pot, and I plan to giv... read more |
Positive | On Jun 29, 2015, Tay78 from Orlando, FL wrote: I have a question. My 10 year old plant just bloomed 5 flowers for the first time last week and now I see what appears to be 10 to 15 more buds starting. Is this normal? Also if any one has one that has not bloomed be patient, it's well worth the wait. I found that stressing the plant a bit accompanied by music and conversation helps. :-) |
Neutral | On May 25, 2014, lancer23 from San Francisco, CA wrote: I've this plant for 7 yrs. I've never seen it bloom because everytime the bud forms it falls off:-( I've asked expert and they don't really have an answer except give it more fertilizer. I've gotten the oldest plant sick with spider mite and mealy bug investagtions. I spray and then let it go out for the summer and it recovered. I've started many plants from that just 1 plant but sadly no blooms for me. Still without bloods its still a very beautiful plant. I've gotten my cuttings from this shop lady's window and her plant is 7 ft tall, touches the ceiling and needs tieing up, top heavy and gets full sun inside her shop window at the coldest part of the foggy city of SF. It blooms Ok and the gigantic beautiful flower is something I wish I can have. |
Positive | On Mar 19, 2014, sijanise from Garden Oaks, Houston, TX wrote: My mother got her 1st plant in 1975. I can't even guess how many plants have been made off of the original. All it takes is one leaf put in a pot of dirt, and poof, you have a new plant. Roots and grows amazingly. My plant thrives on neglect. I just put it in partial shade and water when it gets dry. Last year it had about 10-13 bloom cycles but its at least 7 years old and about 5 feet tall and 5 feet wide. I ALWAYS put it in my greenhouse for winter or bring it inside. It does not like to get cold. Its a tropical cactus after all. I have watch parties when a a bud opens...They are bigger then my hand and the smell is amazing. Its a great looking plant when not in bloom. I adore this plant. |
Positive | On Sep 2, 2013, mensamom from Laurens, SC (Zone 7b) wrote: Very easy to grow in milder areas, moved mine from CA to AZ and now in SC, zone 7B. It is sensitive to extreme cold here so I move it to the garage near a window where it gets filtered light and cut back on the water for the winter. Once spring arrives, I move it to my covered porch where it is out of direct sun as it will sunburn it this humid climate. Love my NBC and have had the same plant for over 20 years. Some leaf sections were given to me and I was told to "damage" the ends of the leaves to help them establish roots. So I took the poor innocent leaves and whacked the ends of them and stuck them in a pot filled with regular potting soil. It took off (in CA) and bloomed the following fall. Beautiful blooms! Love this carefree and beautiful plant!!!! Very interesting video at: ... read more |
Positive | On Jun 4, 2013, djhh from Bloomfield Township, MI wrote: I have had this plant for nearly 25 years; through four residents and various window directions. I have always maintained a cuttings in water for replacing any I killed. |
Positive | On Apr 15, 2013, parrotma32578 from Niceville, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: Mine bloomed 5 times last year. One bloom was very dramatic. I posted a video of my five plants blooms on You Tube. Here is the link: |
Positive | On Sep 1, 2012, otter1971 from Saint Augustine, FL wrote: I inherited my mom's plant, which I had never seen in bloom before. I did a little digging around and found that this plant likes to be slightly root bound, don't go for a big roomy pot. Upon re-potting it with some fresh rich soil in a slightly snug pot it has rewarded me with explosive growth and several blooms. |
Positive | On Aug 17, 2012, hoagk from Northfield, OH wrote: I have had a cereus for several years, and am always able to bloom it if I put it out for the summer, somewhere not too sunny, where it can stay through the fall. Once the night temps start to fall, I always find a flowerbud or two, and usually have flowers on some mid-September night. I live in Ohio zone 5. |
Positive | On Jul 21, 2012, Work1ders from Glassport, PA wrote: Very easy to root, moderate to fast growth. |
Positive | On Jun 11, 2012, thyme4jb from (Zone 8b) wrote: I received a large plant about two months ago. Before I looked up info. on it, I had divided it into 5 pots, placing all in a morning sun location, and watered it every other day, keeping it moist all the time. I was surprised to see two buds, one on one plant and another on another plant, and very excited from what I had read about the blooming, etc. One of the buds fell off just days after I saw it, but the other grew and finally blossomed. I took 2 hour interval pictures of it through the night and was heady from it's intense fragrance. Can hardly wait til it blooms again. |
Positive | On Nov 29, 2011, xbellatrix wrote: What someone said several responses below: "...be patient. In my experience, E. oxypetalum thrives on neglect and eventually rewards the patient gardener with an amazing floral show." |
Positive | On Nov 7, 2011, MNgrow from Wayzata, MN wrote: What makes several whole leaf tips get sick looking for about 3/4 to an inch up? |
Positive | On Sep 29, 2011, Meehlticket from Daphne, AL (Zone 8b) wrote: I live on a hill five miles from Mobile Bay. I have kept my white night blooming Cereus in a large pot for the last year and a half. It was in the full sun - at least 6 hours of hot sun. For a while I thought it was too sunny for it because some of the leaves looked yellow or bleached out. Osmacote in the spring, plus it is in light rich soil. |
Positive | On Sep 5, 2011, psmmrlin from Tucson, AZ wrote: First cutting in 1983, hanging pots bloomed once a year, always at night. In later years my prolific "mother plant" was named Big Ugly by my family. Moved to a lake setting, Big Ugly NEVER bloomed (grew very green and lush in a huge pot under shade trees, was moved inside garage for winters in north Louisiana), although anything I broke off and stuck in other pots of (eg, bougainvillea) would bloom like crazy. Blooms on the ones I put out on the boat dock STAYED OPEN ALL DAY and bloomed all summer, swear - same plant. Gave cuttings to lotsa folks over the years, including my NWLA Master Gardener group. Left Louisiana and BU behind, went full time in our motorcoach, and recently obtained a new "baby" cutting from a plant grown from a piece of Big Ugly. She calls hers Little Ugly, and... read more |
Positive | On Sep 2, 2011, mlrplast from Red Bud, IL wrote: I appreciate all of the detailed information provided for this plant and all the posts and growing experiences. |
Positive | On Aug 7, 2011, Bodynsoil from Essex Junction, VT wrote: After having this plant for a little over a year we waiting patiently for the first blooming. We, unfortunately, never saw the single bud that formed and missed the blooming. Another year has arrive and I just came in from my morning check and noticed that the plant is covered with blossoms. I hope to chronicle the exciting process on my blog http://bodynsoil.com/blog/ This site has been a source of inspiration, I love all the photos here and hope to add my own soon . |
Negative | On Apr 24, 2011, dpostern from peekskill, I CANNOT get my two night blooming cereus to bloom! I have had the plant before and could not get that plant to bloom either. What am I doing wrong or what should I be doing to force the plant to bloom? I have had my plants for over 5 years! Please help! |
Neutral | On Mar 2, 2011, Omar956 from Mcallen, TX wrote: Can you plant a Night-bloomers leaf? |
Positive | On Jul 11, 2010, Heathcliffe37 from Largo, FL wrote: Can anybody please suggest how I can solve a problem with my Cereus plant? It is growing rapidly.....and buds keep appearing--like it is trying to bloom--but then small ants (sugar ants) keep attacking the vulnerable buds and destroying it. I am spraying the plant with numerous plant soaps and oils but so far no success. My guess is the ants are attracted to the small banana cuttings I put in the soil to feed it. I have, however, covered up the organic material with plenty of soil. Your feedback and help here would be appreciated. Thanks. |
Positive | On Feb 16, 2010, fanfare from Jamaica, NY wrote: In 2005 I got 3 cuttings of nbc and planted them in a small pot in my living room. It took a while but the cuttings grew very vigorously. It was happy because it was next to my living room window. I had repot it many times. For the first time last year I brought it outside for summer and it grew like a weed because it liked the rain water and the sun. It didnot like the slugs though. My nbc has never bloomed and after reading many of the blogs on this forum I suspect that it is because I repot it too much and in too big pots; I did not know that it likes to be root bound. When I brought in my nbc for winter it almost died. I now have it under a grow light and I think I was giving it too much water. The leaves became very wrinkled and soft with soft scales. I contacted a popular ep... read more |
Positive | On Nov 7, 2009, KhengHoe from Arlington, VA wrote: This plant can take a lot as an indoor plant. Little sun or water, &c. Mine has at least one round of blooms each year since it has been pot-bound. Instead of cutting off the long stems, let some of the grow out but keep them tied up. |
Positive | On Oct 9, 2009, mswestover from Yulee, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: I guess I have day blooming cereus. The flowers are completely open and fragrant at 11am in the morning. Three years old, has bloomed five or six times this year. Root bound in a pot. Started from a couple of cuttings. |
Positive | On Sep 25, 2009, nikkidavis26 from Delray Beach, FL wrote: Well well well My first experiance with a bloom with this unknown plant I have been watching grow and grow for 3 years now So everynight me and my fiace go for our nightly walk around the house to see how are plants are doing So... How could you miss it It was there his amazing white flower with beautiful orange and yellow spikes I found out today what type of plant it was and I so excited to wait another year till it blooms again thank nature for these beauties! |
Positive | On Aug 17, 2009, mgeno from Philadelphia, PA wrote: I was given a couple clippings of this plant by a friend who told me very little about it. It just seems happy to grow like crazy in sun and lots of waterings. It's bloomed a couple times when I neglected it more which confused me for a while. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2009, weekiwacheekat from Spring Hill, FL wrote: I must be the luckiest grower of this plant ever! I'm reading that most of you waited years before getting a bloom and I had a bloom within 6 weeks of planting one meaty leaf in a pot. |
Positive | On Jul 7, 2009, cocoloba from St John's, I started a cutting for a friend and the cutting bloomed when it was only about 8" high. My mother plant had been relegated to behind more interesting plants under a tree and one day we decided bring it out and hang it from a Mahogony tree - well it hasn't looked back it has bloomed about 6 times for the year, sometime just like a dozen flowers but a couple ot time dozens and dozens it is getting lots of indirect sun so I guess it like that. Will post a pic when I get home. |
Positive | On Jun 26, 2009, dingulus from Edwards, CO wrote: It's great to see this plant on here! I grew up in West Africa and we had these plants around the house. |
Positive | On Jun 15, 2009, paly from Mandeville, LA wrote: This plant is amazing!! It smells like Hawaii, its a beautiful experience to watch it bloom, and enjoy the fragrance. This is a MUST have plant. |
Positive | On Sep 14, 2008, joegee from Bucyrus, OH (Zone 6a) wrote: This plant when it's not blooming looks a little bit like Audrey II from "Little Shop of Horrors." It spent the summer outside under a crabapple tree, entwining its menacing tendrils in the tree's lower branches. It has not been fertilized, and it has been sparsely watered. It may have been snagging neighborhood pets for nourishment. Come to think of it, where have all the squirrels gone? |
Neutral | On Jun 18, 2008, bev18 from Port Alfred, We in South Africa regard this plant as an alien invader. It grows all over the place and although I admired it for many years, it was not until a friend of mine showed me the edible portion that I really began to appreciate it. |
Positive | On May 2, 2008, argtndgo from Cerritos, CA wrote: A friend down the street would put a lamp on his plant's almost every night out by the street. He brought his plants over from Vietnam. People would stop and look to see what was going on. The next morning he would lay out 10 to 25 flowers each on a dark sheet as a form of trophy. He said to let them be and don't do anything but water them. He will trim them every other year to get them in line, but nothing else. |
Positive | On Apr 2, 2008, sacarvounis from Mashpee, MA wrote: A friend of mine gave me one of these plants when he was clearing out his mothers house. He knew that it was supposed to produce flowers but had never seen it bloom. I had it in a SW facing room and it grew like crazy and had to cut back pretty regularly to control its sprawl. A couple of years ago, I noticed an odd development which I recognized as a bud and the opening was quite an event.....the whole family stayed up to watch. Although this plant is rather low maintenance, obviously healthy (still grows like crazy when the days get longer) I have not been able to figure out how to get it to bloom.....or even why it bloomed 2 yrs ago. Any suggestions?? |
Positive | On Feb 23, 2008, xaia from Kitchener, Epiphyllum oxypetalum is an amazing plant. Much like a Christmas cactus, a mature orchid cactus can become a beloved family treasure. It is one of my favourite houseplants as its care requirements are minimal, yet its looks make for a very unique and handsome plant. My 'Queen of the Night' has increased in size year after year, it doesn't ask for much unlike some of my other tropicals which is really nice. I put it out for the summer in the shade of either my home, or move it out under a tree in the yard where it will spend the summer and early fall before coming in for the winter. It grows really fast late in the winter and puts out long cane-like stems, which I prune by half to 3/4 of their length in the spring before I transition it outdoors. Following this, the summer growth appears an... read more |
Positive | On Feb 5, 2008, Awchid from Gisborne, I have grown the Queen for a few years now but was always |
Positive | On Nov 14, 2007, Vic77 from North Tonawanda, NY wrote: Hello, I am giving a “positive” experience, as I don’t have any “negative” :-) |
Positive | On Oct 28, 2007, Flowerguy2CA from Loma Linda, CA wrote: I was first given a Queen of the night in 1977 approx. in Riverside, CA by a fellow student at a University. She told me she learned of it being celebrated, when in bloom, by drinking sake and reading poetry in informal house parties in Japan. It moved with me to Loma Linda, CA -- the same plant -- where it finally died in 2003 when I tried adding it to a drip system and went away on vacation, returning to find it disconnected, I cried. I had given starts to my mother in LA and another friend in Portland, Oregon, and Redlands, CA. A Hawaiian friend gave me cuttings last year from another plant when I discovered it growing next to her entryway. I always guessed it was a plant eluded to on the original Dennis the Mennis show, that Mr. Wilson would claim would die if exposed to light. On the... read more |
Positive | On Sep 17, 2007, LKL from Hamilton, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: My Queen of the Night hasn't bloomed yet, but it is growing like a weed...and so interesting to watch. (2 yrs old) |
Positive | On Sep 8, 2007, Xerses from Baltimore, MD wrote: My Queen of the Night is blooming as I type. It has been in my extended family for almost 10 years, and none of us knew what it was. I've been caring for it for almost 4 years now, and last week I noticed it was putting out buds. It had four at first, one has fallen off, and another looks like it is going the same way, but two have made it to big as cloves of garlic. It began blooming at about 8, when I could start seeing white at the tips, right now it is about halfway open (or so I gather from the photos I've seen). It is 10:45 pm. I'm taking photographs, and wishing I had a time lapse camera. It smells heavenly. It is the oddest thing, it shakes back and forth as it opens, though there is no wind at all here in Baltimore tonight. What a joy! |
Positive | On Jul 10, 2007, kialex from Olympia, WA wrote: Our NBC bloomed last night, for the first time! We've had it for 17 years. It was a cutting from my father's plant in Corvallis, OR, which came from a cutting originally from my grandmother's ( on my mother's side ) plant in Poughkeepsie, NY. That one was huge, growing up the side of the house. It was planted in a pot set in the ground, and brought in the winter. Who knows how long it has been in the family! |
Positive | On Jul 1, 2007, saraladelfa from Clearwater, FL wrote: I love this plant. I have one that's been growing for about 30 years here in Clearwater, Florida. It's about 60 feet from the bottom to the top and is attached to one of the live oaks in my yard. Every year it blooms about mid-September, but this year, the weather has been so screwy that it bloomed about 200 blooms in September, and about 300 blooms a few days ago. I'm going to try to upload a couple of pictures of it to display. |
Neutral | On Jun 16, 2007, ladystressout from Georgetown, OH (Zone 6b) wrote: I got one last year from another gardener and it has some brownish stuff on the stem I can scratch it off. It has not bothered the plant from growing but just do not know what it is and what could be causing it. |
Positive | On Jun 6, 2007, chlovesplants from Murrieta, CA wrote: I just moved to SoCal 3 months ago from NJ. Unfortunately, all my plants died relocation here because the moving van was delayed in Ohio during a winter storm. |
Neutral | On Jun 1, 2007, patriotnutrients from Oroville, CA wrote: I recieved my cereus cutting, about 3 years ago, from a friend.. all he knew about the plant was that it is mentioned in an elvis presley movie.. me thinks it may have been "blue hawaii".. |
Positive | On May 25, 2007, MySharona from Amelia Island, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: I fell in love with this plant the moment I saw it. It was on my "need now wish list"! I was given a surprise clipping about 6 months ago during a trade. I was thrilled when I saw it in the box! It has really started to grow. I'm very excited to see how well it does here, but am sure it will do well! |
Positive | On May 24, 2007, flafrench from Largo, FL wrote: Our Night-blooming Cereus loves being in our shaded backyard. It receives about 1 - 2 hours of sunlight each day. It has a late summer bloom. After 3 years we finally stayed up one night and watched it bloom. Fabulous. |
Positive | On May 6, 2007, ORTransplant from Silverton, OR (Zone 8a) wrote: My mom had a huge Night-bloomer in the sunny atrium-like entryway of my New Mexico childhood home. It periodically would work its way up the iron banister all the way to the second floor, and my mom would chop it back again. I'm sure there are dozens of people in northern NM with clippings from that plant, and I know pieces have been taken as far away as Wisconsin, Florida, and my home now in Oregon. |
Neutral | On Apr 16, 2007, BayAreaTropics from Hayward, CA wrote: I have mine(starting to) climbing a large Brugsmansia.How's that for a smellathon? |
Positive | On Apr 15, 2007, RobinEggs wrote: We have grown this plant for years. It's a fascinating treasure to own. Neighbors are always coming to see it bloom or stopping by to see the cool way the bud forms. |
Positive | On Apr 13, 2007, rucereus from Carpentersville, IL (Zone 5a) wrote: This is truly an easy plant to grow. The only thing that upsets me is that mine has yet to bloom.The plant is very old and has produced blooms before. Since I have inherited this plant roughly 10 years ago, I have divided it,shared it with friends,and moved it out of the cold in winter and taken it outside in spring. What am I doing wrong! |
Positive | On Mar 19, 2007, bigpapajt13 from Richmond, TX wrote: I absolutely love this plant & just wanted to share an e-mail I sent to NEVADASKIDS after reading that he/she had one for 30 years that had never bloomed. When they are unprotected, they seem to bloom after a heavy rain for some reason, but when they are protected, some never bloom. Here is what I sent to NEVADASKIDS... |
Positive | On Jan 20, 2007, itasmom from Yuma, AZ wrote: I live in the Sonoran Desert in AZ. I moved my cereus from Va with me-Igot it from a cutting from a friend of mine. It bloomed once in Va but has not bloomed since we got to AZ. The summers seem too hot for it. It grows like a maniac all winter but starts to turn brown in the summer. I've recently moved it to a pedestal over a new pond we've created. Hoping the humidity and slightly lower temp by the water will help for blooms. |
Positive | On Dec 12, 2006, Doreen6157 from South Brunswick, NC wrote: My plant came from Habitat For Humanity. I paid $5.00 for it not knowing what it was, for, like others, I thought it was quite an unusual plant. I did alot of research trying to find out what it was and just today, after having had it for about 3 months, I went on a home tour and the owner of the house had one and told me what it was! I was very excited to find out what it was and afterward went home and got on the internet and found this website. (Great website, by the way!) I repotted my plant and that was it. It has 5 tall stalks growing out of the base of the plant. Can someone tell me what they do? Can I use them for cuttings? Or do they just grow and grow and grow with nothing ever coming out of them? Anyway, I love this plant and it will be interesting if anything blooms o... read more |
Neutral | On Dec 1, 2006, blossombloom from Griffin, GA wrote: How beautiful! I think I just feel head over heels (lol). I live in south Georgia and I wonder if I could have this beauty in my garden. I'll give everyone an update on this little project later on for us Georgians. Or if you happen to live in GA please give me details. |
Neutral | On Oct 26, 2006, plantladylin from (Zone 1) wrote: I'm deleting my previous comments because I have found out my plant is not the E. Oxypetalum but rather the E. hookeri. |
Positive | On Oct 25, 2006, QueenieBee from Anthony, FL wrote: I have several of these growing in my back yard. While it is a pain to stake them since they grow so long and don't stand up, it is well worth it when you see that first bloom. |
Positive | On Oct 7, 2006, mickey_1 from Brooklyn, NY wrote: hello, |
Positive | On Sep 27, 2006, Ms_Apropri8 from Saint Clair Shores, MI wrote: Tonight is the night! I received a clipping, after admiring this crazy plant, from an elderly historian. She was only too thrilled to clue me in on this amazing plant. I watched it explode the first year and now in its second year with me it has a bud. The plant is now over 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide. I live in Michigan and it is now the beginning of fall. So I have it indoors now at night. I would like to take pictures of it , ( I think that tonight is it) but I am unsure if it is alright to turn on any lights around it. |
Positive | On Sep 21, 2006, Shway9 from Philadelphia, PA wrote: My family and I have had this plant for over 12 years and it had never once grown flowers. But this month (September), after 12 long years, the plant suprisingly grew 5 beautiful flowers. This plant is definitely unique and special. |
Positive | On Sep 10, 2006, jaspersdale from Jasper, IN wrote: My neighbor gave me a start from his Epiphyllum oxypetalum two years ago. Last spring (2005) I moved it to my yard after danger of frost had past. It rewarded me with three spectacular blooms. In the fall, I moved it to an unheated bedroom with a northern exposure where the temperature stayed around 50 degrees through the winter. |
Positive | On Sep 4, 2006, Lotus32 from Perrysburg, OH wrote: My cereus was a start from a large pad right after the blooming. then 2 years later... Bam!! three flowers total, two on one night, and one on the next. Right when they open the air fills with the sweet scent that it produces. It is one of my favorite plants ever!!!!!!!!! |
Positive | On Aug 16, 2006, JFullerRenfro from Clarksville, IN wrote: A Chinese storekeeper gave me a small piece of leaf from her NBC which had broken off the plant. After five years of growth, last year (2005), the plant put out two blooms which both opened on the same night (www.chumchurch.org/cereus/cereus.htm has my pics from last year's blooms. This year, the plant has put out three blossoms (one opened 7/31 (no pics); one opened 8/14 (www.chumchurch.org/cereus/cereus2.htm for those pics); one will open 8/15). It has other "budlets" coming along; some have dropped off, others seem as if they may develop into blossoms. |
Positive | On Aug 9, 2006, catzpal from Port Saint Lucie, FL wrote: I have a plant that is HUGE. I have it in a container as it has been classified as invasive. It started as a small cutting from my grandmother's plant more than 25 years ago. The cutting lived for almost two years just in water, as I never seemed to get around to planting it! It was a houseplant up north, and in Florida it has become taller than I am and as big around as it is tall. It is almost always in bloom (although the blossoms really do only open at night). The buds are unusual and my neighbor says they look like some strange alien pod. The blossoms are often the size of small dinner plates and have a sweet scent. It prefers to be root bound for blooming and size can be limited by keeping container size small. |
Positive | On Jul 27, 2006, greenbud from Houston, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: I finally got this plant to bloom this year! I've had it for probably 4 or 5 years with no blooms, but this year it's in a new big pot, and it's blooming like crazy! I finally saw two open blooms tonight! I am SO excited! I love this unusual plant. |
Positive | On Jul 21, 2006, LC2sgarden from Bolivar, TN (Zone 7a) wrote: I can trace the origin of my NBC back to the 1920's when a lady gave a piece of it to my grandmother. When she died it passed to my mother. When she had to go into a nursing home in Jacksonville, FL, my youngest brother took the plant. When he passed away in the mid-80's I took over the plant. It is now July 2006 and the plant is still in my possession. I am getting older (60's) and my health is failing. None of our children are interested in it so I put out an offer on a DG site. Sent some of it to WVA and told Chantall the story of this plant. One year when I was in highschool (50-s) the plant had over 70 blossoms in one night. A picture of me and the plant in full bloom was published in the FL Times Union. I still have the picture. The sweet smell drew people from 3 blocks ar... read more |
Positive | On Jul 12, 2006, RICKinNC from Indian Trail, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: I was fortunate to have a friend from Moshiem, Tn. give me 2 clippings from one of their plants 2 years ago. I gave one to my mother and I kept one. Hers has grown triple in size but has never bloomed. Mine bloomed 3 times last year with 2 blooms the first time, 1 the second, and 2 more the third time. I had done everything wrong as I watered it too frequently, kept in full sunlight during the hot summer days here in North Carolina and had transplanted it early on to a much larger pot to give the roots plenty of room. I have since read that all of the above was incorrect. I guess I just got lucky from what others have posted here. This year it has already bloomed once (on July 5th) but unfortunately I missed it, thinking it would happen the following evening. I have given away several cli... read more |
Positive | On Jul 11, 2006, GreenEyedGuru from SF Bay Area, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: This thing is amazing.. It lives thru our (no rain) summers, winters, everything with no care at all. It's only bloomed once in two years, but hopefully more to come.. |
Neutral | On Jul 4, 2006, Edit from Toronto, Hello dear gardening experts.We have one of the Queen of the Night plant for over 20 years. It bloomed several times and gave us many beautiful flowers. We admired this interesting plant and showed off with pictures of the beautiful flowers. We are very sad now, due to a disease of the plant. The leaves quickly getting black and paper thin, almost every day we have to remove several infected leaves. We would like to know what is the problem and how can we cure the plant. We are worried, that it is dying. However last week we discovered 3 buds on it. |
Positive | On Jun 21, 2006, mandy_Ireland from co armagh, I was given a leaf to grow three years ago and low and behold last year I had two blooms and this year so far I have had fourteen and awaiting another twelve, the family comes round and we all watch the blooms opening in late evening. |
Neutral | On May 1, 2006, Xenomorf from Phoenix, AZ (Zone 9b) wrote: More synonyms of this plant are Phyllocactus acuminatus, Phyllocactus latifrons, Cereus latifrons & Cereus oxypetalus. |
Positive | On Mar 1, 2006, padme from Plano, TX (Zone 7b) wrote: Yes, when this plant blooms, the smell is indescribably rich, and the blooms only last for one night. And the plant's pollinator, you might have guessed it, is a night creature: bats! |
Positive | On Jan 13, 2006, jarrett622 from Clayton, GA wrote: I first learned about this plant from our neighbor. Actually, we share some common rooms in an apt building. He has one of these plants and gave me a cutting from it. His plant has sent out two flower stalks so far. My plant, which is only about 3 months in the pot, is also sending out a flower stalk. Yes, this plant can be a pain to deal with at times but it's very interesting and I can't wait for it to actually flower! He has his in an aquarium with a Aloe plant. They seem to do well together and the aquarium helps to contain this plant somewhat, the walls giving it something to 'lean' on. |
Positive | On Dec 16, 2005, delonix26 from 29440, Wonderful plant. The stem grows higher and higher. The flowers are specially big. I grow Epi oxyp in my veranda. |
Positive | On Nov 20, 2005, araras from Petropolis-ARARAS, Our plant is blooming once a year about midnight (end December - zone 11) : tropical altitude forest (1.050 meters). The plant produces 20 to 30 flowers. |
Positive | On Nov 12, 2005, singaboiz from Oakland, CA wrote:
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Positive | On Oct 27, 2005, Allison_FL from Dunedin, FL (Zone 10b) wrote: I was given my Night Blooming Cerus plant small in a 4 " pot two years ago by my Aunt in her 80's. It has been in my family 125 years. It was my Great Grand Mothers ! Mine grows like a weed and bloomed the first year. This is it's second year and it has bloomed at least a dozens times from Spring to fall. Mine grows outsdie year round i Florida with little care. I grow it in the same soil as my African violets and feed it the same food. I am going to plant some under a tree in my morning sun /shade garden. I have shared dozesn of cuttings and potted plants with other it just keeps growing. It fascinates me and is a true treasure. |
Positive | On Oct 21, 2005, happygardening from Fox, AR wrote: This is one of my very FAVORITE plants! I have one that's a year old, and going strong! Exceptionally easy to grow, and beautiful, as well as interesting! As long as you control their growth, they won't get unruly. To dispel some questions I read on the forum, the plant DOESN'T need to be three years old to bloom, and to bear fruit it has to be cross-pollinated with another clone of oxypetalum, or another clone of epiphylliums. |
Positive | On Oct 4, 2005, kulsetsiyi from Franklin, NC wrote: I grow this plant in zone 6a by overwintering in a warm greenhouse. I move it outside as soon as the area is frost-free. The greenhouse seems to supercharge the bloom potential and waves of blossoms begin in January and continue through October. It will branch prolifically in a fresh pot but definitely blossoms better when pot-bound. Mine come from cuttings from the Bronx Botanical Gardens obtained in 1968. |
Positive | On Sep 15, 2005, ladyfirebird93 from Wapakoneta, OH wrote: A friend gave me a start of this plant a couple years ago. |
Positive | On Sep 10, 2005, siris02170 from Quincy, MA wrote: I have a Cereus that is at least 4 generations old. There are cuttings of this plant all over PA and New England. This year we had 23 blossoms, 9 in one night! I have had it in the Boston area for about 5 years and each year it goes outside in May and back inside around the end of September. We always have a party when we think it's going to blossom although this year we missed a 2 blossom night and had one false alarm. I have found that the easiest way to share this treasure is to simply trim the plant, stick the cuttings in soil and give it away, everyone who attends our parties leaves with a cutting done that night. BTW, at least here in the Northeast, the Cereus has to be outside for the summer in order to bloom. |
Positive | On Sep 3, 2005, thiapopi from Santa Fe, NM wrote: The plant was given to me about 18 years ago and bloomed that first year. it had not bloomed again until TODAY!! I was given instructions to have a party when it bloomed, but it caught us by surprise. In fact, we missed the first one. Thank goodness there is another bud. |
Positive | On Aug 6, 2005, springdawn from richard bay, This is my fav. plant. She will bloom again in December. We are now in August, and she is popping out new leaves all over. I keep her tied to a tree with ribbon in a rather shady area. I feed her nitrosol fertilizer every week. If I don't have nitrosol, I give her kelp fertilizer. |
Positive | On Jun 25, 2005, junglegoin from Holiday, FL (Zone 9a) wrote: This plant was cultivated from a cutting taken from a stem/leaf in the summer of 2004. No special technique is required. Simply cut off a section of leaf stalk and place in the soil. In about one year, we had our first bloom. The fragrance is wonderful yet difficult to describe! Only smelling it for yourself will you understand. I water my "Epi" on a weekly basis and feed her once a month with a standard liquid plant food (Schultz Liquid 10-15-10). This plant is easy to cutivate, a wonder to watch grow and a very delightful surprise when it blooms! As the name implies....Only at night will you see or smell this one time blossom...but it is an experience you will never forget! |
Positive | On Jun 23, 2005, Vincent4eyes from Olive Branch, MS wrote: This is the most amazing flower I've ever seen, even it grows freely in Southeast Asia. I don't know exactly where and when it originally came from but it grows in Asia for centuries! It grows like "grass" in the wild!!!! This is the easiest flower one can plant without spending a lot of time and money to take care [care free]. |
Positive | On Jun 8, 2005, EmperorDragon from Elk Grove, CA (Zone 9b) wrote: 'Night-Blooming Cereus' is a vigorous plant during the growing season late spring to midsummer here in California. It puts out purest white, enchantingly fragrant flowers that open from evening until the following morning. |
Positive | On Jun 7, 2005, ladyblueheart from California, KY wrote: I love the free form and constant green of this plant. I can't get it to bloom, but still cannot imagine my home without it. I've had it for over 15 yrs and would love to experience the blooms. Sandy, ps...I uploaded a photo of mine. |
Positive | On Apr 7, 2005, lindas43 from Whittier, NC wrote: My Mother had this plant for over thirty years. When she passed away, in the late nineties, I gave it to my aunt. The week before this past Easter she gave it back to my sister and I. It's root bound and we would have repotted it except for reading all the helpful info here. |
Positive | On Jan 4, 2005, RLina from Le Morne, 5th January 2005 |
Positive | On Nov 18, 2004, MisongLi from Palmdale, CA wrote: While living in a Canoga Park (91304) apartment several years ago, a neighbor gave me several of these plants. She said it was a Hawaiian cactus and that it was extremely easy to propagate from only pieces of leaves. Outside on my patio in plastic pots the plants did extremely well at all times of year, but temperatures were never freezing. My oldest plant, four feet tall and broad, with "wood" stems one-half inch thick, was left out in the hot summer sun and edges of the leaves burned and looked horrible. However, the plant put out an incredible show of flowers that summer, one night (I am not kidding) it had 11 flowers open in one night. The woman who gave me the plant took video of it. |
Positive | On Nov 14, 2004, hansbean from Colonial Heights, VA wrote: Mine was given to me in 1977 by an elderly lady that I rented from. At that time it reached 9 ft. in height. Over the years, I have cut it back and it now stands at 3 ft. I give it no special treatment, other than to repot it very 3 years and remove part of the root ball (like one would a bonsai). I, personally, use Miracle Gro potting mix, keeping the potting mix moist, and I never fertilize. |
Positive | On Oct 6, 2004, dga1 from Jacksonville, FL wrote: This plant grows quite well in Jacksonville, Florida! I've had mine since 1984. I have taken several cuttings for new plants for friends. I've found that if you use that root growth hormone power stuff on the cutting, it takes off really fast. |
Positive | On Sep 25, 2004, cheetah728 from White Pigeon, MI wrote: This is amazing plant. I've had it for years. Blooms every year now. Have 2 growing. Have given several cuttings away. |
Positive | On Sep 6, 2004, pscbirmingham from Birmingham, AL wrote: I received my plant several years ago and it is one of the easiest plants to take care of. I water it whenever I remember, every 2 or 3 weeks, sometimes once a week. It is pretty much root bound and sits indoors in a SW exposure window. The only problem I have with it is it's size. It is probably 15 feet tall (or long since it ran out of room to grow "up" and now grows across the ceiling). |
Positive | On Aug 31, 2004, irene22 from Boston, MA wrote: I just "inherited" the night blooming cereus from a friend who was moving into a smaller house in Vermont. I am surprise to find that it has a small bloom already. I was told by my friend that it had one bloom earlier this spring. I have no knowledge about growing or caring for this plant until I came across this website with so many recent contributors from all over. The small bud on my plant is about 2.5 inches long now and I'm wondering how long do I wait until it blooms. I live in a small apartment in the city and I'm wondering if anyone out there has had success growing these indoors. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2004, StewartMott from New York, NY wrote: My parents grew N-BC in their greenhouse in Flint Mich. |
Positive | On Aug 14, 2004, RxBenson from Pikesville, MD (Zone 7a) wrote: I must admit that I looked down on this 'epiphyte' for years, since I also own a huge 'true' Notocereus grandiflora -- the REAL 'night-blooming cereus.' I bought a rooted cutting of Epiphyllum about three years ago -- maybe 3.5. It was only about 5" tall.... then. I have repeatedly hacked off 8-foot stems the width of a pencil and in spring of 2003 I moved it up to a much bigger pot because it just needed the weight of a huge chunk of soil and a heavier pot to keep it from toppling over -- even with all the strings attaching it to the curtain rod! It is 4 x 3 feet now. |
Positive | On Aug 1, 2004, viola3 from Titusville, FL wrote: My uncle gave me a cutting of my Grandmother's original plant which she brought from Tennessee to Florida almost 25 years ago. In the nearly four years I've had this 'night-bloomer', it has grown tremendously and bloomed consistently from May 'til October- one to three blooms per month. Last summer, I had 15 blooms over two nights. This year, on the night of June 28, there were 21 blooms! On the 29th- 10 blooms! What a display! |
Positive | On Jul 13, 2004, trilian15 from Helsinki, I have known this plant with the name "Princess of the Night", although it's very obvious it's some sort of Epiphyllum. I have just learned the official name (direct translation from my language is called something like "fragrant leaf cactus"). When or where my grandmother received the first cuttings I don't know, but blossoming plants were photographed after WWII and the photos were in family album. |
Positive | On Jul 8, 2004, R_Rubey from Atlanta, GA wrote: I believe this is the prettiest flower that GOD ever created! Have had 2 plants for about 10 years here in Atlanta, Ga. Take them in about 1 Nov or 1st hard freeze and put them out about 10 Mar. During winter they have restricted light, no feeding, and little water. When put out, (in a shaded area - they will tell you with the color of the leave-stems if you have too much or too little light), I use Super-Bloom every other weekend. Made the mistake of re-potting my favorite one year and it took 3 years for it to bloom again. Obviously, likes being pot bound (although the free standing, tree-climbing stories counter this). |
Positive | On Jul 1, 2004, padmajoy from Belvedere Tiburon, CA wrote: I obtained a cutting of this plant from a friend. It rooted easily in garden soil, in a pot. I have kept it indoors (I live in the SF Bay area) and it has bloomed once in the last 4 years. Right now it has two small spikey bud-like protuberances (each about 1 1/2 inches long) on it. I do not remember seeing these the last time it bloomed but may have missed this early stage of bloom. I noticed them about 5 hours ago. Does anyone know how long it wil take to bloom from this point? |
Positive | On Jun 17, 2004, pellepoix from Saint Petersburg, FL wrote: I live on the west coast of Florida. In my garden, I have several trees covered with the night blooming cereus. I counted over 600 blooms at a time. In my neighborhood, a palm tree is covered by a plant, and has too many booms to count. I am surprised to see how few people are aware of this extraordinary sight. |
Positive | On Jun 17, 2004, carol_okc from Choctaw, OK wrote: I adore this thing! my largest is a piece from the plant which originally belonged to my great-grandfather! It's been a family tradition to have an open-house when we have a particularly heavy bloom - my grandmother back in Easton Pa once had 37 blooms in one night on the parent plant. I've had 27 in one night on my big piece, which I've now been growing for 35 years. |
Positive | On May 18, 2004, desertboot from Bangalore, The plant's sometimes also referred to as the 'Star of Bethlehem'. 5 dinner-plate sized blooms opened late last night. The fragrance: ambrosial. There's also a pink-bloom version in the garden but we're still waiting to see it flower. How interesting to find that so many of us have sat up nights to catch the "moment" before this plant! |
Positive | On May 6, 2004, jclin from Cerritos, CA wrote: I have grown this plant since my childhood. It was nick- named " Beauty Under the Moon " in Chinese literature, or as it's common in Taiwan, "Night Beauty", as it blossom at night. I still grow them in the back yard in Los Angeles. They are usually care free, but foilage looks ugly if left unattented under direct sun light. I figure it must grow better when under shade because it originated in South America, rather than as a desert succulent plant. |
Positive | On Apr 25, 2004, foodiesleuth from Honomu, HI (Zone 11) wrote: I love this plant. I have been growing it for at least 30 years. My first one was growing in a pot someone gave me when I lived in SC. The first time it bloomed it was spectacular with about a dozen huge blossoms...we turned the evening into a party and several of my friends came to see the 'unveiling'. We did this for years... |
Positive | On Apr 10, 2004, lemonboy7 from New Orleans, LA wrote: We have one of these wonderful plants on our back screened porch here in New Orleans. We have had it for so many years I can't remember how many. It has been in the same pot all these years.The pot is about 12 inches wide and 14 inches high. The plant is about 5-6 feet high.We leave it on the porch throughout winter since we do not get hard freezes often,and it is close to the wall where it gets radiant heat from the house. |
Positive | On Feb 10, 2004, orchid_lady wrote: I have had my plant for five years. From what I can tell the plant is now 15 years old. It bloomed the day before it was given to me -- but has never bloomed since. It doesn't stop growing! It puts out new leaves on a constant basis and is about 7' tall. What am I doing wrong? |
Positive | On Jan 21, 2004, Tianice wrote: This lovely plant also grows in Brazil, which is a tropical country. We´ve had it in the family for over 15 years. It used to be kept in the garden, but since we moved to an apartment, I´ve been keeping it in the living room, by the window. |
Positive | On Jan 8, 2004, ilovejesus99 from Baytown, TX (Zone 9b) wrote: I love this plant. I bought several 13 years ago for $s2.50. Now I trade cuttings in special trades for other colors or other plants I am interested in. Very easy to root and very easy to grow. Blooms smell like heaven. You can watch the large ones open. Highly recommended for beginner--very easy. Make sure it drains well. Loves to be root bound. The ones I bought were in regular soil, not potting soil. |
Positive | On Jan 6, 2004, rachaelpratt wrote: I live in Bunbury, Western Australia and recently moved into a house with a less than 8 year old Epiphyllum oxypetalum. It flowered in early December (summer) with one bloom the first time then just before Christmas many, many blooms. It is now (January 6th) and more buds are developing. |
Positive | On Jan 4, 2004, Monocromatico from Rio de Janeiro, This is an interesting plants. The flat, leaf like stems are interesting already if let alone. But the flowers are spectacular. My grandma sent me a rooted cutting, and after 2 months it´s preparing 2 flowers at the same time. |
Positive | On Jan 3, 2004, Berdie2 from Cincinnati, OH (Zone 6b) wrote: I inherited my plant from mother. I had it for several years without blooms. Last fall I repotted the plant with catcus soil that had a little fertilizer in it. In the late spring of 2003, I set it outside where it got morning through early afternoon indirect sunlight (protected by a pine tree). I watered it with miracle grow twice during the summer. This fall I was rewarded with 4 beautiful blooms that started blooming around 8:30 and closed about 7:30 the next morning. The effort was well worth it. I bring my plant in when the fall temperatures begin to go below 60 degrees and winter it in a window that gets southern exposure. |
Positive | On Dec 13, 2003, tori24 wrote: I have had this plant for ten years. I have never got it to bloom. Help. |
Positive | On Nov 9, 2003, leeleelee from Columbus, OH wrote: I have had this plant for years, however, it hasn't bloomed for the last 6 or 7 years. BUT, one year it had 18 to 30 blooms on it while it was outside under the maple tree. I recommend it as a once in a lifetime privilege to have it bloom. I learned that if you pluck it off and put it in a baggie and put in the refrigerator it will stay for days and days and you can take it wherever and share it with others. I'm glad it is a potbound grower and I would like to learn more of its needs. I'm glad to learn that if you pinch it off, it doesn't hurt it. I've often wondered about the long, long tendrils. Can they be pinched? I live in Columbus, Ohio. |
Positive | On Oct 25, 2003, kayleebug from Elkhart, TX wrote: I have mine in about a 14" pot. I have learned that it does better to be pot-bound, which mine is. It is about 4 feet tall, but I have cut mine back. You can easily make cuttings by cutting the stalks off into 6 to 8 inch pieces and planting them in a good potting soil mixture. They're beautiful. Will bloom till mid-morning or so if the temperature is cool enough. |
Positive | On Oct 22, 2003, ford3728 from Homer, LA wrote: I received 1 long stem or leaf from a friend and cut it in 4-inch long segments, dipped the ends in root hormone and had roots in just a few days. I planted it in a hanging basket and wintered it in the greenhouse. It bloomed the following summer late and made fruit (an oblong reddish type ball). I read in my plant encyclopedia that the fruit was edible but it had no taste, but maybe it didn't mature enough before it fell off. The wasps like it and probably injured it somehow. My plant did not bloom until after midnight and it usually started closing around 9:30 or 10:00 a m. In early fall on a cloudy cool day it stayed open all day. I've read that they must have at least 6 hours of sun a day to produce blooms. I have to put it in the greenhouse during winter as it will not survive a ... read more |
Positive | On Oct 15, 2003, scgirl wrote: I was told a plant must be at least three years old before it will flower. I drag my plant outside during the summer and put it under the Pine trees. I always keep it watered here in South Carolina (U.S.) It is in bloom right now with 2 flowers; last week it had 9 flowers. |
Positive | On Oct 10, 2003, NEVADASKIDS from Cincinnati, OH wrote: My mother had several Epiphyllum oxypetalum, the whitest white color we have ever seen, started from one plant that was given to her by my grandmother sixty years ago. These plants bloomed every year while we were growing up. |
Positive | On Oct 9, 2003, Connie243 from Ashland, KY (Zone 6b) wrote: My Mother was given this plant when I was 8 years old. I now have the plant and have divided it several times. I have 2 that are in pots and stand about 5 ft. tall. If given some care, they do not get long and gangly. When it starts producing new shoots, and as soon as the shoot gets as tall as you want, pinch the tip end of the shoot off. This will stop the growth of the shoot and force it to produce more leafs. |
Positive | On Oct 1, 2003, flowergirlkimba from Saxonburg, PA wrote: I had the experience of seeing what all the fuss was about when I saw this plant in action last night at the home of my grandmother. She had told me stories before of her grandmother having an article written about her magical "Night Blooming Cereus" and how they set up extra chairs and had guests over to sit all night to see it. Many, many years ago, this was quite an event in Saxonburg, Pennsylvania. My family, too, described it to others as the "Dennis the Menace" plant, but Gram knew the name, making it easy for me to find here. I hope the pictures I took last night will be as good as the ones you show here! |
Positive | On Sep 5, 2003, debrat wrote: I acquired my "Night Blooming Cereus" several years ago from a neighbor who has sinced moved. She was a religious lady and called it the "Madonna Plant". I never knew the true name of it until I went online in search of "night blooming plants" and there it was. |
Positive | On Aug 26, 2003, darius from So.App.Mtns., I love this scrawly, unruly plant, but love it more when it blooms. The fragrance is unreal, and this year I had to beat off a horde of slugs heading for the bloom! |
Positive | On Aug 12, 2003, suncatcheracres from Old Town, FL wrote: This is a most unusual and beautiful plant. I lived next door to an old, huge Queen of the Night in St. Petersburg, Florida, zone 9b, for about 10 years. This plant has been living in a large sycamore tree in my neighbor's front yard since the 1950's, and every Summer in July this scraggly, climbing cactus plant, which you wouldn't ordinarily notice, puts out huge, dinner-plate-sized blossoms that became the attraction of the neighborhood in the early evenings. The owners sit outside in their lawn chairs in their front yard and greet all the neighbors and the teenagers who come around to see this spectacular sight. |
Positive | On Aug 10, 2003, Phaltyme from Garden City, MI (Zone 6b) wrote: How nice to see pictures and comments about this plant. Many years ago, I had one (can't remember where I got it), it put on buds and we watched carefully. At the right time, we brought it in the house, set it up special and set up the camera facing it and ready to photograph. I spent 4 or 5 hours taking pictures of the blooming progress until it finally opened in all its glory. The next morning I followed its demise. What an experience. |
Positive | On Aug 10, 2003, mcromer53 from Spartanburg, SC wrote: I am so glad to finally find out what this plant is. I have three large plants in pots. I can't wait each year to see if I have a bloom. One year I had 18 blooms in one season. I received the plant from my father in west-central Georgia (U.S.) He and his wife have four large plants and each year they make cuttings for family and friends. |
Positive | On Jul 16, 2003, City_Sylvia from Dallas, TX wrote: I grew this plant for years, after someone brought a long leaf into my office, placed it in a jar of water and told me to watch it grow. Eventually it started sprouting roots and developing more leaves and long skinny tendrils. |
Positive | On Jul 12, 2003, pdkrones from Monroe, NC (Zone 7b) wrote: I had these off and on for years; not in a long time. In Los Angeles, California (U.S.), they grew freely in the backyard, and the fragrance with multiple blooms was unreal! It was unruly in the pot for me, but not enough to bother me. I kinda like untidy plants. They do great transferred outside for summer bloom here in Zone 7a/b. |
Positive | On Jul 11, 2003, kinderteacher from Miami, FL wrote: My grandmother had a big plant when I was a child, and she always made it an event of blooming time and the aroma of the flowers. The fact that the flowers only lasted one night was not important when compared with the wonderful experience of admiring this beauty. |
Positive | On Jul 10, 2003, IslandJim from Keizer, OR (Zone 8b) wrote: I have no idea why anyone would call this an ugly plant... |
Neutral | On Jun 1, 2003, olive2 from Kewaskum, WI wrote: I have just purchased a small plant at a rummage sale. I don't kow what kind of soil should it have or how old it will be before it blooms. |
Positive | On May 9, 2002, cgkathy wrote: When the night bloomer blooms, you forget how ugly and unruly this plant is to grow in a pot. It shoots out long runners that do not stand up by themselves, there is no set pattern of growth, it just goes here and there when and where it wants. But just wait for that first bloom and all your trouble seems so worthwhile! |
Neutral | On Jan 25, 2002, Dinu from Mysore, The flower opens up after dusk, is at its maximum bloom by midnight and fades off by sunrise. It has a sweet fragrance. |