Night-blooming cereus (Epiphyllum oxypetalum), a commonly grown houseplant in many parts of this country, comes to us from Mexico and Central America.
Unlike the cereus species which grow in our southwest, this particular kind, also known as broad-leaf epiphyllum, grows on trees in its native habitat.
The American kinds, which may grow to great heights, have round stems and often have thorns, while the white flowering broad-leaf epiphyllum has flat stems and in our climate attains only moderate heights.
In Mexico, this night-blooming cereus is an epiphyte. It supports itself on trees to reach for sunlight and air.
Unlike a parasite, it does not draw nourishment from the plants on which it rests.
It will grow without support in pots, although its stems require staking when it attains a large site.
Night-Blooming Cereus: Easy Houseplant
Night-blooming cereus makes an easy houseplant that can be placed outdoors in the summer in temperate climates.
Its stems, which remain green the year round, can be cut into pieces and rooted in water before planting in pots of sandy loam.
Use a large container since the roots like plenty of room. In fact, it is suggested that when plants grow large, a wooden tub be used because the pressure exerted by the cereus roots sometimes breaks clay pots.
During the summer, water regularly, but apply water only sparingly during the winter.
Blooming Nature Of Night-Blooming Cereus
A new plant requires about 4 years to come into blossom, but when it does, the long wait is worth it.
At first, a small bud, which looks like a new stem bud, appears.
It will remain like this for about 2 weeks and then takes on a different shape as the stems strengthen and develop new veins to supply the buds.
In 4 to 6 weeks, the bud matures. Then, early one evening, it will begin to open, and if you watch it carefully and steadily, you can actually see the pink petals move.
After the blossom opens fully in about 3 hours, it will fill the night air with a sweet, overpowering fragrance, which can be detected at a distance of 50’ feet on a still evening.
It is not uncommon for a single plant to produce four or more buds at a time and to open many blossoms on the same night.
Young plants seldom develop more than one or two blossoms at the beginning.
When daylight strikes the flowers, they quickly close and do not open again.
On the other hand, if you pick the flowers at their height, they will remain open for a few days if kept in a cool, dark place.
44659 by Lawrence G. Heinrich