Night blooming Cereus

[Rick]

A friend of mine has a monster Epiphylium oxypetalum, and I missed the blooming with 11 of these monsters open at once. But I made it the next night for the last bloom.

For a point and shoot I think these pics came out pretty good. The flash didn't go off for the first one, but is pretty dramatic.

 

[Justin]

very nice, i used to grow these...had a couple big ones and a few more i grew from cuttings but never was able to get them to bloom. gave them away eventually when i reduced my houseplants to focus only on the orchids.

 

[Stone]

Nice. He's not growing these outside is he?

 

[KyushuCalanthe]

I like the first ghost shot best. These are so cool - but a bit of a monster plant. When I lived in southwest Florida I knew of plants that grew up into the live oaks on certain streets - very cool to go out there at night when they were in bloom.

 

[Rick]

Nice. He's not growing these outside is he?

Yes until first and last frost. Around here that could hold out to mid November, and as early as March. Every year winter gets a little shorter and warmer. But about 3 years ago it got warm in Feb, and was great until Easter. Then got hit with a freeze just as all the trees were in full spring bud.

 

[Rick]

but a bit of a monster plant.

Yup this one is probably about 10' across, and is in a cut off wine barrel or something equally monstrous. I've been there during winter when he has it in the spare dining room, and you can barely get around it.

The fragrance is wonderful from a distance, but up close its almost intoxicating. Almost like it has alcohol in it. These are bat pollinated, but you would think it would drop a bat in mid flight!!

 

[Yoyo_Jo]

That's cool! What a monster. :clap:

 

[Erythrone]

Stunning blooms!! Nice Epiphyllum species!

 

[NYEric]

They always sell these on ebay. Thanks for sharing.

 

[SlipperFan]

Beautiful!

 

[JeanLux]

Impressive!!!! Jean

 

[abax]

There used to be an elderly gentleman who lived down the
street from me. He had a smallish attached gh where he
grew orchids and one HUGE "Babe in the Manger" that completely covered the ceiling of his gh. It was a neighborhood event when it was in bloom. We counted
over 130 blooms open at one time and then gave up on counting. We could smell the blooms down the street when he had his gh doors open. It is intoxicating!

I like the flash-fail photo too...very dramatic.