- Sun Aug 10, 2014 1:18 am
#209484
Hi everyone, I just wanted to share a time-lapse video of the big bloom I recently had on my Epiphyllum oxypetalum, a night-blooming "cactus". (It's technically an epiphyte that hangs in trees in the wild, like an orchid or a Nepenthes, not a true cactus. One of the most common names is 'Queen of the Night'.)
The large white flowers open after sunset and only last just one night. Their beautifully fragrant scent is somewhat reminiscent of gardenias. A friend gave me this plant about six years ago, but this is the first time it has ever bloomed. It took about three weeks from the time I first noticed the tiny bud until it swelled up and opened a couple nights ago. It was well worth the wait, and very nostalgic for me as well since my adopted "grandmother" always had one of these while I was growing up. It had been almost 30 years since I'd experienced these huge, impressive flowers!
I stayed up until 2:00 am taking pictures every half-hour from all different angles (about 150 photos in all) so I could put together this time-lapse video of the whole process. (The little icon between "HD" and "vimeo" at the bottom will expand it to a full-screen view to see the details better.) I knew it would be a one-shot deal since the flowers only last just one night. Well worth losing some sleep over to me!
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/102961750[/vimeo]
The large white flowers open after sunset and only last just one night. Their beautifully fragrant scent is somewhat reminiscent of gardenias. A friend gave me this plant about six years ago, but this is the first time it has ever bloomed. It took about three weeks from the time I first noticed the tiny bud until it swelled up and opened a couple nights ago. It was well worth the wait, and very nostalgic for me as well since my adopted "grandmother" always had one of these while I was growing up. It had been almost 30 years since I'd experienced these huge, impressive flowers!
I stayed up until 2:00 am taking pictures every half-hour from all different angles (about 150 photos in all) so I could put together this time-lapse video of the whole process. (The little icon between "HD" and "vimeo" at the bottom will expand it to a full-screen view to see the details better.) I knew it would be a one-shot deal since the flowers only last just one night. Well worth losing some sleep over to me!
[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/102961750[/vimeo]