Every May we tell you about the annual blooming of our favorite epiphytic cacti, the night-blooming cereus.
The long, skinny cactus clings to rough, cracked bark and pokes its way skyward into the canopies of trees from South America to Arizona to here in Central Florida. They send down curtains of roots to sift moisture from the air.
What really makes them special though is their massive blooms that open only during the nighttime. The flowers can measure the size of a human head and they emit a beautiful scent to attract nighttime pollinators like bats and moths. When the sun comes up in the morning, they wilt away like they were never there.
The timing of their blooming and the short-lived brilliance of their flowers makes the night-blooming cereus somewhat special to the real Cereus Nerds out there who make special pilgrimages to the trees across the City Beautiful to snap photos and admire their clusters.
The largest colony of blooms is without a doubt located at Weltin and Hardy on a massive tree that’s seen better days. At peak bloom the tree resembles a coral reef, completely covered in large white bursts of petals.
We’ve compiled an interactive map below of some of the better locations to see the blooms and will be updating Bungalowers on our Instagram account throughout the month.
You can also follow the Night-blooming Cereus Facebook group HERE.
