Wikimedia Commons
Cactaceae
Epiphyllum Flower
Epiphyllum oxypetalum
Fleeting beauty and transience.
- Family
- Cactaceae
- Genus
- Epiphyllum
- Native to
- Mexico, Central America, South America
- Bloom season
- Summer
- Type
- Epiphytic cactus
- Height
- 30-300 cm
- Sunlight
- Partial shade to bright indirect light
- Soil
- Well-drained, epiphytic mix
- Water
- Moderate
- Hardiness
- 10-12
- Lifespan
- Perennial
Did you know
- The enormous white flowers bloom only at night and wilt by morning, earning it the name 'queen of the night'.
- Each flower can be up to 30 cm in length and releases an intoxicating sweet fragrance.
- In Chinese and Japanese culture, the brief bloom is a metaphor for the transience of beauty.
- The flowers are pollinated by bats and hawk moths attracted to their nighttime scent.
- Enthusiasts hold 'bloom watching' parties since the exact night of flowering is unpredictable.
Color meanings
0
Fleeting beauty
1
Transience
2
Rare opportunity