Epiphyllum oxypetalum

[NEslipper]

Sorry it's not an orchid, but it's sometimes referred to as the "orchid cactus" or "queen of the night". Flowers are massive and open once the sun sets, but wilt by the morning. Lovely fragrance reminiscent of rose. This came as a cutting from Botanica several years ago and it has always sent up buds, but this is the first time they didn't turn yellow at ~3cm, so I guess the cutting is finally "mature". It opens so fast, it was really cool to watch - my first time ever seeing one of these in flower.
7:47pm

8:06pm
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8:50pm
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For scale:



With flash

 

[My Green Pets]

very pretty, what kind of light does it get? must need a good amount to bloom.

 

[abax]

Spectacular flowers. I once visited a greenhouse of an elderly gentleman who had one that was at that time
over 30 years old. The plant literally covered his greenhouse walls, roof and benches. I'd never seen one before
and was gobsmacked. The entire neighborhood was invited...it was an EVENT!

 

[Ray]

When I was in college, and got "re-turned-on" to plants (my mother always had them in the house), I bought one in a 2-gallon pot for $0.50. The seller told me "it had just bloomed, so won't bloom again for 15 years," but it was an interesting-looking plant, so I grabbed it. Needless to say, that was wrong, as it bloomed reliably at least annually, starting a few months later, in bright, indirect light.

I went home to DC from Atlanta for a couple of weeks, my roommates had set it out in the yard to get rain, then never put it back in shade, and it fried. When I got back, I tooks the now-fragmented, remaining bits of the plant and threw them on the compost heap - where 90% of the bits rooted.

Easy to propagate from cuttings and easy to grow, but also easy to miss the blossoms if you don't stay up and sleep in.

 

[Ozpaph]

fascinating

 

[NYEric]

Nice. Thanks for sharing. Can you show the plant?

 

[NEslipper]

very pretty, what kind of light does it get? must need a good amount to bloom.

It’s on a south-facing window with horizontal blinds partially closed, so it gets a decent amount of light, direct, slightly filtered light for a few hours.

 

[NEslipper]

Love hearing everyone’s first experience seeing this plant in bloom, it’s certainly memorable! Thank you for the stories!

 

[abax]

You're most welcome to the story. I forgot to mention the overwhelming fragrance that walking into that gh
wafted through the air. NEslipper remember that an old, mature plant is HUGE.

 

[richgarrison]

that's an awesome flower...

In case anybody wants, i have inherited 2 of these that are both very old and a little rough looking... they are literally going into the mulch unless folks want to claim them i don't at all want to ship them... i'm 5 minutes from the downingtown exit of the PA turnpike.... PM me if you would be interested.

These were in my dear friend Deb Robinson's greenhouse who recently passed away. :-(

 

[NEslipper]

that's an awesome flower...

In case anybody wants, i have inherited 2 of these that are both very old and a little rough looking... they are literally going into the mulch unless folks want to claim them i don't at all want to ship them... i'm 5 minutes from the downingtown exit of the PA turnpike.... PM me if you would be interested.

These were in my dear friend Deb Robinson's greenhouse who recently passed away. :-(

Sorry to hear about your friend, I hope her plants go to good homes!

 

[richgarrison]

Definitely working that. Big SEPOS auction in October <wiki leaks ;-) >