Queen of the Night Cactus (Selenicereus grandiflorus): Legendary Nocturnal Bloom

Overview

Queen of the Night (Selenicereus grandiflorus) is the most famous of the night-blooming cereus cacti. Its long, ribbed, climbing stems clamber over trees or rocks. Once a year, typically in early summer, it produces enormous (up to 12 in), exquisitely fragrant, white flowers with golden centers that open at dusk and wither by dawn. The scent is powerful, sweet, and vanilla-like. Native to the Caribbean and Central America, it's an epiphytic or lithophytic cactus. A magical addition to warm, shaded gardens or conservatories.

Key Features

• Stems: Long, cylindrical, ribbed, climbing; aerial roots.
• Flowers: Huge, white, intensely fragrant; nocturnal; one night only.
• Bloom Time: Early summer; often synchronized.
• Habit: Epiphytic/lithophytic climber; needs support.

Care Guidelines

Light

Bright shade / dappled light. No direct sun.

Water

Regular during growth; keep humid. Reduce in winter.

Soil

Epiphytic mix: bark, perlite, peat, organic matter.

Support

Provide tree, trellis, or wall to climb.

Taxonomy

Family:	Cactaceae
Genus:	Selenicereus (sel-ee-nih-KER-ee-us)
Species:	grandiflorus (gran-dih-FLOR-us)
Synonyms:	Cactus grandiflorus, Cereus knuthianus, Selenicereus knuthianus, Selenicereus hallensis, Cereus grandiflorus