"Queen of the Night" - Pictorial Journey of Its Bloom

 

The epiphyllum oxypetalum, or “Queen of the Night” cactus, is a perennial that can grow to be up to 10 feet tall. This bloom’s journey of this succulent is both secretive and seductive.\

 

It blooms during the night and the next morning it is closed, never to open again.  To observe this wonder, one must be extremely vigilant.  The telltale sign of its premiere performance is when, for approximately three or four days before opening, the stems of the blooms begin to turn upward. 

 

These photos are sequenced from beginning to end.  The bloom fully opened around 10:00 pm and closed at sunrise.  Take note of the angle of the upturning stems previous to blooming.  The final morning, the stems dropped.