Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus)

This is definitely one of the oddest plants we have in the UWO Greenhouses. Selenicereus grandiflorus (Queen of the Night) is native to the Caribbean, Central America and portions of South America. It is easy to care for and very fast growing. It needs lots of light and water as well as very rich soil.

When I first started working in the greenhouse I noticed many wilted flowers. I assumed it flowered regularly and was waiting for a good picture opportunity. When I found out it only bloomed at night I realized I'd never get a picture of the flowers. Then I found out that not only does it just bloom at night, but only for one night a year in early spring or summer. These flowers are gigantic and usually at least 35cm across.

That being said, the plant itself is still very interesting and definitely deserved a mention.

By the way, those orchids from the last post smell like milk chocolate! It's amazing. The scent completely fills the tropical room! There's another variety about to flower that supposedly smells like vanilla.