Queen of the Night

Aka Dutchman's Pipe aka Orchid Cactus aka Epiphyllum oxypetalum:

This species was originally described from cultivated material and its true place of origin has never been truly understood. In 1909, C. A. Purpus collected a slightly different type in St. Ana, Orizaba, Mexico. It has carmine red outer petals and the flowers have an unpleasant smell, rather than being fragrant. It was originally named Phyllocactus purpusii, but does probably not deserve any botanical recognition.

Mexico to Venezuela, as well as Brazil. It also can be found, cultivated in parts of America with warmer temperature such as California. Epiphytic or lithophytic. 75-2.000 m alt. Widely cultivated and escaped in many places and its true origin has never been fully understood.

An easily cultivated, fast growing epiphyte. Needs compost containing plenty of humus and sufficient moisture in summer. Should not be kept under 10°C (50°F) in winter. Can be grown in semi-shade or full sun. Extra light in the early spring will stimulate budding. Flowers in late spring or early summer and large specimens can produce several crops of flowers in a season. This is the most commonly grown of the Epiphyllum species and known under several nick-names such as; Night Blooming Cereus, Dutchman's Pipe, Queen of the Night and Kadupul.

The flower of the Queen of the Night blooms for only one night. It only opens late at night and dies in the morning. Every year we forget to photograph it because it opens at bedtime. Last night we stayed up late.

The air in the enclosed back porch where it lives was dense with its perfume which is described above as an "unpleasant smell." Well, Chas does not like it. Andy tolerates it and I am intoxicated by it probably because it reminds me of my childhood when we had a Queen of the Night growing on the mango tree outside my bedroom window. The scent is sweet and musky like vanilla with whiff of skunk.

I buried my nose in the flower and inhaled the perfume. The feel of the silky soft petals and the sensuous scent reminded me of making love to an exotic woman in my youth. When I went to bed I had a sneezing fit that lasted for 15 minutes and I could still smell the perfume in my nostrils as I drifted off to sleep.

Here are three of the dozens of photos we took last night. The first was taken by Andy. The second one is by me showing that the flower is bigger than a milk-jug. The third one is By Chas.

There are four more buds which may all bloom together tonight.