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| Night-blooming Cereus |
Because I had a 9:20 a.m. doctor's appointment this morning Becca and I left for our hike at 6:00. The early start allowed me to see a cactus I'd only heard of before, but had never seen for myself: the Night-Blooming Cereus. So I took as many photos as I could. Here's what Desert U.S.A. says about the plant: "One of the strangest plants of the desert, the night blooming cereus,
is a member of the cactus family that resembles nothing more than a
dead bush most of the year.
It is rarely seen in the wild because of its
inconspicuousness. But for one midsummer's night each year, its
exqusitely scented flower opens as night falls, then closes forever with
the first rays of the morning sun. (My emphasis.)
Range
Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts of southern Arizona, east to western Texas and south to northern Mexico.
Habitat
Desert flats and washes between 3000 and 5000 feet, often in the shade of desert shrubs like creosote.
Flowers
These very fragrant trumpet-shaped flowers, which bloom for only one
night in June or July, are up to 4 inches wide and as much as 8 inches
long. The waxy, creamy-white, many-petaled flowers are followed by a
red-orange, short-spined elliptical fruit about three inches long.
Description
The night-blooming cereus has sparse, angular, lead-gray, twiggy
stems about 1/2 inch in diameter. Extremeley small spines grow along the
4 to 6 ribs of these woody stems, which can easily break. It can be
erect or sprawling, reaching a length of up to 8 feet, but is usually
half that length."
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| Focus on the stem |
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| Before sunrise on the foothills trail |
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| The sun makes its appearance |
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| Getting closer to warmth |
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| El sol about to appear above Tortugas Mountain |
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| Long shadow |
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| There's a impatient pup in this photo |
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| Soaptree Yucca and the Organ Mountains |
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| Soaptree Yucca in Tortugas's foothills |
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| Yuccas at the base of the Tortoise |
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| Night-blooming Cereus in sunlight |
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| Two Cottontails were feasting on Desert willow blossoms in our yard |
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Interesting markings on this one's face
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3 comments:
How lucky to be able to see this flower blooming. Beautiful flowers. Wish I had been there.
Wow! I've never seen that flower! And great photos. You were really lucky, as Dr. k said.
Thanks, Caroline. I'd never seen it, either, but I think I first read about it in one of Joseph Wood Krutch's books on the desert.
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