Although not a "wildflower" in our area, the Night-blooming Cereus, also called Queen of the night, Reina de la noche, lunar flower, moon flower and luna flower, is a wildflower in the desert and is native to the Sonoran Desert in North America.

In the desert, the plant grows as a thin, almost dead looking stick from a single stem in the ground. In our homes here in the mountains, they are obviously cactii and have long broad, flat "leaves" from which the pods develop and bloom. That "stick" is also present. They bloom just one or two nights of the year and one has to be on his/her toes in order to catch the night bloom. They often stay open until the early morning hours, but then close up for another year. Beneath the ground is a large tuber, often the size of a watermelon, that was eaten by Indians and early settlers because of its nutritious content.

The photographed plant is in our office and had two pods to bloom. Both bloomed the same night, August 11, around 9:30 pm. By 8:30 am, both blooms had been spent and were hanging limply to the mother plant. Sigh.......waiting for next year...........

Huge blooms on a "strange" plant. Photo by Brenda Hoss


One Night Only! Opened around 9:30 pm and completely spent by 8:30 am.